


Hidden Child

by SyndromeVoorhees



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fantasy, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-05-18
Updated: 2012-05-25
Packaged: 2017-11-05 13:58:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/407225
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SyndromeVoorhees/pseuds/SyndromeVoorhees
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Socially unaccepted by the world surrounding her family and forced to hide in shadow her parents have created. Her only friend Toby is the little brother of the girl that beat the Goblin King so many years ago. Sick of her parents corrupt world she wishes herself away to Jareth's Castle pleading to stay.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I Wish I Could Be Me

Dirty slender fingers smudged the pastel across the colorful drawing as the pale determined girl put the finishing touches on her new piece she planned on presenting in her art class the next day. The light breeze in the courtyard made her brunette hair fall into her face and she huffed angrily at it. She hated her hair as long as it was and was tempted to go and cut it short just to watch her mother's face turn red with anger. The thought made her laugh. She set her freshly finished picture up on the table and propped it up with her back pack and examined it.

It was a colorful drawing of four small goblins in a stone archway. One was sitting on the floor looking rather frightened, and the other three defying gravity on either wall and one on the ceiling poking it's beady red eyes out from behind the wall looking rather curiously towards her. She smiled at it then sprayed it with a sealant so it wouldn't smudge and sat down on the not so comfortable metal chair beside her while she waited for it to dry. Just as she was about to put her head phones on she hear someone calling her name.

"Hey Eve!" The tall boy called. She was surprised that anyone would approach her. He ran up to her his short blonde hair was in its usual mess it was her lab partner from chemistry class.

"Hi Toby." She said and he stopped in his tracks when he saw her drawing as if it reminded him of a nightmare or a bad memory then he blinked and his face returned to its normal huge smile.

"Whoa what's that for?" He asked looking at it more closely.

"Art class. Were on pastels now. It's lots of fun. My parents hate how messy my hands are when I get home." She smiled.

"That's good. Always got to find new ways to make them mad." He winked making her smile up at him. For some reason he was one of the few people that actually talked to her there at the college. Everyone else seemed to steer clear of her knowing how her family was. But then again Toby's mom was a lot like hers. But at least he didn't have to hide who he really was from her.

"Class starts soon. Want to walk with me to drop this off in the art studio?" She asked brushing her pastel covered hands onto her black baggy pants.

"Sure." He smiled and they walked and talked about various things like the small red leather bound book she always carried with her titled the Labyrinth which had been inspiring all of her art work and writing for the past few months. Talking with him was nice, but she also hated it. He could never really know her. No one ever could unless she wanted to deal with her parents.

She just turned twenty three but age didn't mean anything in her family. You were only considered an adult once you got married. Finding anyone that wanted her for who she really was would be impossible and there was no way she'd marry some idiot who only wanted her for her looks... her fake looks that is. Her brunette hair was a lie and so were her brown eyes. All fake so her mother wouldn't be ashamed to show her off in public. Her real hair color was light blonde. So blonde it almost looked white. At least that's what she remembered. It had been so long since she last seen her original hair color, she was probably ten or so.

Her eyes... her mother hated them the most. Left eye was orange and the right was green, how she'll probably never know. She was sure her father wasn't really hers. They always dressed her up in elegant gowns and took her out with them and her prodigy younger sister. She was exactly what they wanted. A prim and proper girl who enjoyed going to things like beauty school and accompanying wealthy boys to plays and was only interested in sitting and looking pretty. That was not the life for her. She hated all those things. Going to plays was nice, but beyond that she loathed her mother and fathers lifestyle. She thought things would get better when they moved to America from Europe when she was thirteen, but they somehow found a neighborhood filled with people just like them and attended all of their social gatherings. She shuttered remembering that there was another one that night that her mother was forcing her to go to.

Ever since her sister had married and moved away they prodded her more and more to find a wealthy man to pursue and marry. At least they still let her go to college. The one freedom she had was she was allowed to take any classes she chose so long as she didn't speak of them in front of their friends or bring any of her artwork or writings home with her. They liked to tell their friends that she was too advanced to go to any private school and that she had a special private teacher that taught her from home.

Toby waited for her outside the art studio while she added her drawing to her ever growing pile in the back corner of the room when the art teacher entered the room.

"Eve, Is that your new piece?" She asked and looked at it with wonder and awe. "It's very good..." Eve blushed then noticed a worried look on the teachers face. "Eve can I ask you a question?" She nodded in response. "Why don't you ever take your art home with you? You really shouldn't leave it in here. I can't guarantee someone won't take them and the janitors have been complaining." She motioned to some of her small sculptures sitting on the floor.

"I can't... if my parents see them... they'll..." She looked down and didn't want to remember what happened last time. "Last time I showed them my art and my stories they had me committed... again." She admitted sadly trying to shake all the memories from all the times it had happened. Once when she was ten, then when she was fourteen, then again when she was eighteen. She could still feel the doctor's hands around her arms dragging her down the long hallway of the psychiatric hospital. She wiped away a tear and her teacher looked at her solemnly.

"What? That's blasphemy! There is nothing wrong with you!" Her teacher was suddenly angry then she thought for a moment. "Well I'll tell you what then I'll see if I can have a locker arranged just for your things." Eve smiled and gave her teacher a hug and thanked her before returning to Toby. At least there were a few people out there that thought what her parents were doing was wrong. "Fucking rich asshole parents! What's wrong with them!" She heard her teacher say to herself before leaving the room.

"Hey are you ok?" Toby asked his looking concerned.

"I'm fine." She lied. "Just annoyed I have to go to this stupid hoity toity rich asshole gathering tonight with my parents." She groaned and Toby's blue eyes lit up.

"Really! Ha ha I know how you feel. My sister used to make me go to those kinds of things with her until she had her baby. Now instead she goes and I watch her kid for her. But man is that little girl a nightmare! I honestly think she saves up all her energy and evil babyness until I have to watch her." He explained. "In fact I have to watch her tonight! I bet my sister is going to that thing too."

"Who knows. I don't really pay attention at those things. Besides I'm usually too busy concentrating on not breaking my ankle in those awful shoes they make me wear." Eve made a face.

"Maybe I'll send Lillian away to the Labyrinth King or whatever you call it that you're always talking about. I could see her as a goblin. Definitely is loud enough to be one." He laughed and Eve laughed with him. They had made it to their class early and leaned on the wall outside the chemistry lab. "But you should talk to my sister if you see her there. She's pretty cool. She's not like all the other people at those kinds of things. She actually has a brain."

"I'll look for her. It'll be better than listening to my mom tell me which guy I should be marrying. What's her name?" She asked pulling a loose string from her purple long sleeved v neck shirt.

"Sarah Hurst. Her husband's name is Richard." He said as more students began to file into class and they followed and sat at their usual lab table in the back corner. Today was the day they began experimenting with different chemicals on different elements.

"Now class before we begin anyone wearing contacts has to take them out. I don't want to hear any griping it's for your own safety and I don't want to be responsible for the idiot who accidentally gets their contact lens melted to their eye. I have lens holders and solution so come and take them out now, and _please_ label them so you don't get the wrong ones when you go to put them back on." He demanded and a few students lazy moseyed over to the table where the teacher was waiting for them. Eve hesitantly made her way over to the table with the other students. She knew she had to take them out there was no getting around it. Besides she had always wanted to take them out at school to see what reactions she'd get since no one besides her mother and the man that always dyed her hair for her every two weeks had seen what they really look like. She purposely waited until everyone else was done and took them out and labeled them with a piece of tape.

She made sure to keep her eyes on the floor the whole way back to her table. The only thing she was afraid of was word getting back to her mother about it. For all she knew she had a spy at the school watching her. When she sat down Toby had a look of shock on his face when his eyes set on hers and she quickly looked away and put her safety goggles on.

"Whoa." Was all he said and scooted closer to her as the teacher began passing all the supplies for the lab out to each table. "Eve your eyes." He whispered.

"I know..." Was her only response fearing that he thought she was a freak.

"That's so cool..." He said and she turned back to face him. "As weird as this sounds... they kind of look familiar, like I've seen them before." She smiled at him and they started their lab. The whole time Toby kept looking up at her eyes and it was hard for her not to blush. It was something she wasn't used to. Getting attention from someone that she could possibly see herself with. They both finished their lab before anyone else and Eve put her contacts back in.

"Wow that's such a drastic change. Why do you wear them in the first place?" He asked curiously.

"Because of my mom. She's ashamed of me... This isn't my real hair color either." She smiled.

"What color is it then?" He looked intrigued.

"It's hard to remember exactly, it's been so long, but it's really light blonde almost white." She said feel like she was telling a deep dark secret.

"I wish I could see it." He eyed her up and down. "It would definitely fit you better." She blushed and pulled out her Labyrinth book reading the part about how you have to say your right words to get a child taken away.

"I wish I could wish myself away to the Labyrinth." She admitted putting the book down.

"I don't blame you. I never realized how much your parents suck until now. They make you hide who you really are that's just wrong." He said as the teacher dismissed class. "Well I guess I'll see you next week then." Toby shrugged. "Have fun tonight. I know I won't!" He yelled after her as they parted ways. Eve sighed and slowly made her way to her car dreading going home.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jareth sat on his throne in his dirty throne room filled with squabbling goblins. He hadn't aged a day. His blonde hair hung at his shoulders and his ruffled shirt was low enough to expose his chest to see the large silver and gold pendant that he wore. His grey tights were tucked into his high black leather boots. He tapped his fingers on his armrest bored out of his mind. It had been so long since someone wished anyone away. Twenty years maybe? And even then they gave up halfway through running his Labyrinth and let him keep the child, Mortimer, he was a good goblin thus far. Kept the other goblins entertained for the most part. He rose from his throne and made his way up to his room to do the only thing he ever really did when he was bored of watching the goblins run about, spy on Sarah.

It had been twenty four years since she ran his labyrinth and defeated and denied him. He never got over it. He still longed for her to return to him to stay, yet another part of him wanted revenge. Never before in his life had anyone refused him. Even back a thousand years when children were wished away at least two a week the women would crumble at his feet. Sarah befriended so many in his labyrinth and defeated him. For the longest time after she ran she would still contact her friends she had there, but once her innocence was gone she was never heard from again. He was pretty sure that she no longer had any memory of the place.

She had given away her book and it found its way to someone who was reading it's words every day. He figured he'd check on her first to prolong tormenting himself with watching Sarah. A crystal appeared in his hand and he balanced it atop his index finger. Eve was the girls name and she sat in a chair getting her hair cut looking rather satisfied. He couldn't understand why he was so compelled to watch this girl from time to time over the last few months. There was nothing extraordinary about her. A girl who hated her parents and was a rather good artist, at least from what he had seen. Suddenly he noticed it seemed like she was looking right at him for a moment then looked away.

Jareth sighed and ran his free hand through his hair. It had been maybe a month since he last watched Sarah. He usually tried not to as much as he used to. Each time was more and more painful. Having everyone around him even the goblins telling him he needed to find someone new wasn't helping. He threw his crystal out the nearby window in frustration to keep himself from watching her. Grabbing his cloak he decided to take a walk to clear his head.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Eve quickly made her way to her room and luckily didn't run into her mother or father on the way. She laughed triumphantly as she spread out on her bed and ran her hands through her hair. On her way home she decided to cut her hair, she didn't care what her mother said, it was her hair and she had to deal with it all day not her. She had three inches cut off and it was so much nicer, she did wish she was brave enough to cut it even shorter though, perhaps next time. She laid on her stomach in bed reading her book over again wishing she could find any clue to the words she needed to say.

Once she had realized that there was no mention of anyone ever wishing themselves away she sighed and there was a knock on her door. She sat up and quickly stuffed her book into her large back pocket. "Come in." She called and her door creaked open. It was Leon the man that always dyed her hair and made sure she looked according to her mother's wishes for the annoying things she dragged her to. He was dressed in his usual black vest and red long sleeved button down shirt with pinstriped pants with his short white hair spiked up in small spikes.

"My dear Evelyn, what have you done to your hair? Your mother will be furious." He whispered. "Hurry come with me unless you want to deal with your mother! She is in quite a mood today." She quickly followed him down the hall to the dressing room where he always worked on her. "Quickly get out of those and put this on." He handed her a box. She went behind the curtain changing room and opened to find a blue glittery dress. Another new dress why didn't that surprise her. Pulling it out of the box she soon realized how incredibly low cut the dress was. It was also sleeveless and backless, Eve rolled her eyes.

"Leon if I'm going to wear this I need a proper..." She was cut short when a bra was thrown over the curtain to her. "... Thanks." Once she put the bra on she realized that it was a push up bra and rolled her eyes as she slid the dress on and walked out holding it up and Leon knew the drill so well he was there ready to zip her up and she sat in his stylist chair.

"Now since you decided to be crazy and cut your hair I'll do you the favor of putting your hair up so she won't notice until after the party." He said before getting to work. Not even ten minutes later did her mom walk in. Both Leon and Eve's eyes went wide. She stood a few feet away from the chair with a look of disgust on her face. Her brunette hair was all clipped up and a large diamond necklace hung from her neck that connected to her red velvet dress that was trimmed in gold and her chest was covered in matching sequins.

"Evelyn Paige Sweldon! What have you done to your hair!" She tapped her foot angrily.

"What does it look like I did I cut it! You don't have to deal with it all day like I do it was too long." Eve explained crossing her arms. Leon stopped his work.

"You're lucky I already told my friends you were coming with. But when we get back you're in _deep_ trouble. Perhaps before I leave I'll call the college and cancel all of your classes. We've obviously given you too much freedom and you've abused it. You will be confined to the house and I will be taking your car as well." She said with a glare before turning on her heels. "Leon put extensions in her hair please and keep her hair down." She waved her hand at him. "Just wait till your father hears about this." She muttered and disappeared out the door.

Eve wanted to die. Not school, they could take anything away from her but school. It was the one place she could be free of her parents and their ridiculous rules and regulations. She fought with herself until she calmed down knowing that crying would only make it difficult for Leon to work on her. She took on a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

"Will you be alright my dear?" Leon asked.

"No." Eve shook her head. "But what else can I do?" Leon looked at her sadly.

"You know you could always run away." He suggested. "Your mom may pay me well but she is the most awful witch of a mother I have ever seen in my life. If you were my daughter I'd show off your beautiful eyes and let you do as you pleased with your hair and clothes. You're too beautiful to hide behind these hideous bland colors they try to cover you up with." He explained with the utmost sincerity in his voice making Eve blush a little.

"Thanks Leon, but if it was as easy as running away I would. I've tried before. They found me and had me committed for two months... it was awful..." Her voice got lower.

"Well I would never..." He looked astonished. "Well I suppose I should get to work then. Please remove those damn things from your eyes." He said holding a contact case out to her and she removed them closing the little vials shut. "That's much better." He smiled and began his work on her hair.

After a few moments Eve had that strange feeling again like someone was watching her and she looked up at the large brightly lit vanity mirror in front of her to see a small transparent bubble sitting there. After staring at it for a moment it popped and disappeared. That was twice in one day it had happened to her. Usually it only happened once a week if not every other. What was it? It was really starting to bother her. The more she thought about it the more she remembered about other strange things she had seen. A few times at some of the annoying social gatherings she saw a tiny little goblin watching a woman sitting up in a chandelier or hiding behind the tapestries and under tables. Of course she never said anything about them to anyone, who would believe her anyways?

When Leon was finished with her she had white eye shadow on and extensions had been put in her hair making her hair long enough to frame her cleavage which was greatly enhanced by her push up bra with a diamond necklace that luckily covered most of her chest and long white gloves that went past her elbows.

"Alright you're all done and just in time. Just need your hideous fake eyes." He said holding the vials out to her and she put her contacts back in. "Good luck Evelyn." Leon said after her as she left the dressing room with her small purse over her shoulder and her shoes in her hand not wanting to put them on until she absolutely had to.

Luckily her mother was already in the car with her father and the driver had the passenger front seat door open for her meaning her mother wasn't ready to deal with her yet. She was incredibly thankful and hopped in the limo and once they took off she pulled her ipod out of her purse and listened to it the whole way there. If they did cancel her classes at least she still had music. She would definitely have to find Toby's sister and talk to her so she could at least let Toby know what happened. There was no way her parents would let her just go and see him unless they had previously met him at a place like the social gatherings they seem to have every weekend and approved of him first.

She groaned when they got there making the driver laugh as she put her ipod away in her tiny purse next to her book and slid her horrid white heels onto her feet before stepping out of the limo. Her mom took in a deep breath before approaching her with her father whose face was stern and he wore a tuxedo with a red undershirt, and the three of them walked into the large entry way of the mansion together. It was filled with different colored copies of her parents and girls that were even more dolled up than her. The younger men were all dressed in white suits with red roses sticking out of their pocket standing around scanning the crowd for possible prey for their incessant prattle about how successful they were and how they were going to take over daddy's company one day.

The first thirty minutes Eve was dragged around by her mother and introduced to boys she didn't meet the last time they brought her along and a few of them began to talk to her while stealing glances at her breasts while they did so. One of them even offered to take her out to dinner. She quickly declined thankful her mother was out of earshot. She played her stupid little part and nodded and laughed when she was supposed to. An hour had gone by and she noticed another little bubble floating just below one of the chandeliers and it seemed to be following someone through the room and she soon noticed it was the same lady she had seen the little goblin watching before.

Eve made her way over to the woman still keeping an eye on the bubble expecting it to disappear at any moment but it didn't it kept after the woman in the green dress.

"Hello I'm Evelyn. I see you here every time I come I've just never introduced myself." She said in her most polite voice she could muster in her confusion.

"Oh Evelyn. You must be Eve. I'm Sarah Toby's sister he told me to look for you." She smiled and looked Eve straight in the eyes.

"Oh, I'm glad to finally meet you. How is your daughter doing, Lillian right?" Eve asked making small talk as she kept sight of the bubble and it suddenly got bigger then popped and disappeared.

"Yes she is doing wonderful. She's such a happy little thing." She said still not unlocking eyes with her. "I'm sorry I'm staring at you so. Toby said I had to see your eyes. I don't know what he's talking about sometimes." She apologized.

"Oh." Eve blushed. "What did he say exactly?" She asked curiously.

"He said that you have pretty hidden eyes. What is he talking about?" She still continued to look into her.

"I would show you... but I can't here. If my parents saw they'd... well I guess it doesn't really matter, what they'll do now, but I'd rather do it away from the crowd." She said a bit intrigued that someone else would even be the least bit interested in such things considering she was there amongst those dreadful people. Then she remembered that Toby said she wasn't like them.

"Oh well you've got me curious now. Follow me out to the garden no one ever goes out there." She said and led the way out of the crowd and down an empty hall and out onto a small balcony lit by small lamps that lead into a little garden. Sarah sat on the stone bench facing the flowers and patted the spot beside her and Eve joined her. Eve looked at her hesitantly as an owl flew above them out their sight and landed on a tall hedge above them gracefully not even making a sound. "Come on you can show me." She urged her.

Jareth watched them in complete confusion slowly piecing everything together. This girl Eve was friends with Toby the boy that got away from him and now Sarah the girl that beat him. The red corner of her book was visible sticking out of her purse at her side. How could all of this be? Who was this girl? He waited and watched as she took the contacts out of her eyes and heard Sarah gasp and stare in wonder. Jareth couldn't see what she was intrigued by and flew just above them and was about to land on a small pillar behind Sarah when Eve's mother came out into the garden and he flew back up to the high hedge to stay out of sight and saw Eve glance in his direction for a moment before she saw her mother making her way towards her.

Eve quickly stood and in doing so dropped her contacts and saw a look of horror on her mother's face when she saw her without her contacts in. "Damn it." Eve cursed at herself for dropping her contacts. Sarah looked completely confused.

"Don't use that kind of language here!" Her mother's face was red with anger. "What're you doing out here! You should be inside mingling with the nice boys. I heard you turned dinner down from Kevin, and now I find you out here throwing your contacts away! You hate me don't you? You just want me to look like a fool in front of all my friends!" She said furiously pointing at her accusingly.

"Excuse me. If you're this young lady's mother I suggest you hold your tongue. I've heard about you. You need to let her live her life and leave her alone! She's not a puppet for you to control so you can feel better about yourself!" Sarah yelled at the woman feeling compelled to protect the poor girl. There was just something about her, and her eyes made something deep stir inside of her but she couldn't place what it was, perhaps an old memory. From the few things that Toby had told her about Eve she knew that her parents were horrible people.

"Mom just go back inside and do whatever it is you do when you're here I'll just stay in the limo ok?" Eve said taking her shoes off as she made her way inside.

"Oh no you're not! I have spares! You're going to put them in and go back inside and tell Kevin that you accept his invite to dinner!" She commanded holding the vials out to her.

"Really? Are you that desperate for me to convert to your little fantasy world that you think I'll actually go in there and do that? Because I'm not. I _hate_ your life style! But you won't let me out!" She waved her arms in the air and her book fell out of her purse. Her mom looked down at it.

"I thought I told you to get rid of that! It's not something a proper lady should be reading! Goblins and fairytale nonsense!" She went to pick it up but Jareth swooped down and picked it up in his talons and dropped it at Sarah's feet hoping it'd stir something inside of her, and make her remember him. Sarah stared at it in wonder. It looked oddly familiar and she picked it up and Eve ran to her and she handed it to her.

"Well it's all I have! A fairytale, a dream where I'm free of you and that man you say is my father!" Eve said and her mother's aggravated breathing went silent. She knew she hit a nerve. But she didn't say anything she was silent for once making Eve laugh. "I knew it! He isn't my father is he?!" Sarah watched the two of them completely bewildered and couldn't shake the familiarity in the air. Eve's eyes, the book, the owl, what was it?

"Of course he isn't! If he was you'd be a _normal_ obedient girl like you should be!" Her mother bellowed and in that moment something hit Eve like a wall and her brain clicked together.

"I wish I could live in the Labyrinth. I wish I was away from this awful corrupt place." She said with meaning. "I wish the goblins would come and take me away right now!" Eve yelled and she felt a great power tug at her. Sarah and Eve's mother only saw her vanish in thin air, but Jareth and Eve saw a hole open up in the ground and several goblins grabbed her by the legs and pulled her into the earth and it closed up behind her. She was gone and Jareth could feel her presence in his castle.


	2. Half Of Thirteen O'Clock

_Impossible! Impossible!_ Jareth screamed in his mind as he remained perched above Sarah and Eve's mother. Eve had wished herself away to his castle, he didn't even know it was possible. What was he going to do now? He didn't want to leave Sarah he was too fixed on figuring out if she had remembered anything. She stood staring at where Eve had disappeared and shook herself making the strange feeling of familiarity disappear. He knew he couldn't stay and let out a loud hoo making Sarah look up at him as he flew away. Eve's mother was still frozen in shock as he disappeared into the night.

Eve stirred awake and found herself in a ragged dirty circular room made of stone. On the far wall was what looked like a throne and a large pit lined with rags was in the center of the room. Looking around she realized that she was alone. She sat up and looked down at her dress a bit disappointed that it wasn't ripped or tarnished. Realizing that she still had her shoes in her hand she threw them across the room and put her book back in her little purse. Oh how she wished she had pockets. She quickly ran to the nearest window and looked out of it. What she saw made her gasp.

There was a small village filled with little houses and goblins roamed the streets. Beyond that was a labyrinth made up of stone walls and hedges that stretched several miles out surrounding the entire area she was in. Which meant, she was in the castle at the center of the labyrinth, and that was the goblin city just outside the castle. She sat on the outside of the pit in the center of the room and looked around trying to convince herself that it wasn't just a dream and replayed everything in her head that had happened.

Her mother... she finally knew for sure that the man she called father all her life was a lie. Then there was Sarah, she had barely met the girl and she instantly stood up for her the second her mother spoke rudely to her. It seemed like in such a short time so many people were becoming protective and helpful to her. Maybe it was a sign that she belonged somewhere else, like in the labyrinth.

She got to her feet to go to the window facing the goblin city again to look for any sign of the goblin king, even though she had no idea if he was a goblin or a different being, the book never specified, it had only said that he was very powerful and immortal. Before she made it to the window the same owl she saw in the garden flew in through the window and barely missed her head making her duck down. She quickly turned on her bare feet to see where it had gone only to set her eyes on a man staring at her looking rather angry and confused.

"You're the goblin king then I presume? You were the owl in the garden too weren't you?" She had so many other questions she wanted to ask him but held her tongue noticing he didn't look too happy.

"Yes, I am Jareth the Goblin King." He said proudly. "No one's ever wished themselves here before..." He said half to himself not looking directly at her. His mind was still lost in the confusion of everything and he began to slowly pace back and forth in front of his throne. "You're too old to be a goblin. You're the oldest child that's ever been sent here." He still didn't look at her.

"So I'm the first person to ever wish myself here?" Eve was shocked.

"I didn't even know it was possible." He stopped pacing and quickly approached her making her back away from him a bit afraid of how close he was standing to her. Not many would ever approach her especially that quickly. She had only ever been touched when it involved getting dolled up for her mother or getting dragged to her room by her wrist and the doctors from hospital. He was only a foot away from her and she took two steps back away from him. "Are you afraid of me?" He asked looking into her and suddenly his expression changed as he locked eyes with her. That's when she noticed his eyes. One blue one brown two different colors just like hers.

"Your eyes... are like mine." She said and didn't take a step back when he got closer this time.

"Why did you wish yourself here? This is no place for someone of your age." He said summoning a crystal. She watched intrigued as he skillfully moved it about his hands. "Take this. It'll show you your dreams whenever you like. Take it and I'll send you back." He said using the crystal to hypnotize her. Whatever the reason she was there, it didn't matter, he didn't want her there. Especially since now he knew how close she was to Toby and now Sarah. This girl could be used to get Sarah back into his labyrinth once more.

Eve watched mesmerized by the crystal for a few seconds before she realized what he had said and shook her head.

"No! I don't want your crystal to show me my dreams. I already know what they are. You're trying to trick me! I never want to go back!" Eve was furious he'd try and get her to go back. He threw the crystal in the air and it disappeared just like the bubbles she had seen watching her before. She glared at him. "So it was you who's been watching me these past few months! After watching me you think you'd realize how unhappy I was there. Some goblin king you are..." She huffed and crossed her arms.

"You can't stay here." He said firmly looking down on her. Her eyes were really starting to get to him. Only immortals like him had eyes like that. But no immortals had been in the mortal world for over a hundred years. She had also admitted to seeing his crystals watching her. There were some mortals who could see things like he could, maybe she was one of them either way he needed her to go back. He was sure if she did Sarah would go out of her way to help her and he could use Eve to get to her.

"Say whatever you want but I'm staying. I wished myself here for a reason. I don't have to hide here. I can finally be me!" Eve stood her ground as he eyed her up and down really looking at her for the first time. She was pretty but it seemed like something was missing from her like she was a puzzle missing a few pieces that would have made her radiant if she had them. Then he had an idea he was sure would work.

"Alright you want to stay? Then prove it to me by running my labyrinth." He smiled darkly.

"Sounds easy enough." She said confidently.

"Only one person in over a thousand years have solved it, and she had help by making friends along the way. I doubt you'll be so lucky." Jareth said hoping it would dampen her spirits.

"I don't need luck, just to show you how much I want to stay I'll even do it in this stupid dress with no shoes." She said firmly and they were suddenly on a hilltop outside the labyrinth and she could see the castle off in the distance beyond the maze of walls and hedges. Eve blinked in the sunlight and looked up at him with an annoyed expression on her face. "You don't just transport people without giving them warning." She groaned and Jareth ignored her as he made a clock appear beside him.

"You have thirteen hours to solve the labyrinth and make it back to my castle. If you fail..."

"Yeah yeah I know, you'll send me back, which _isn't_ going to happen." She started to walk down the little hill towards the outer walls of the labyrinth. Jareth watch as the dwarf in charge of grounds keeping the labyrinth made his daily rounds along the outer wall. He was surprised as he watched Eve take careful steps in her stocking feet as she carelessly let the ends of her dress drag in the dirt. He returned to his castle to gather the goblins and spread them throughout the labyrinth to make sure she didn't make it through in time.

Eve looked along the outer wall for the entrance finding nothing. She thought thirteen hours was a rather long time he had given her. How hard could it be? She saw a small dwarf of a man spraying weeds around a small pond. He wore brown patched up pants with a white shirt and a light brown leather vest. Tufts of white hair stuck out from beneath his skull cap. He stopped and looked at her for a moment from under his bushy eyebrows and continued what he was doing before he looked at her again and approached her.

"So he's making you run the labyrinth then? Damn Jareth, so stubborn." He said in a grumbly voice and continued his work.

"You know who I am?" Eve asked surprised following after him.

"Of course I does. Eve. Everyone does. We was hoping Jareth would forget about Sarah if you came, but..."

"Sarah? Was that why Jareth had goblins and crystals spying on her?" She asked interrupting him.

"He probably doesn't wants you to know... but she's the one that beat him. He loved her I think... She used to keep in contact with us in the labyrinth, not Jareth of course, but then she stopped. It was like she forgot about us. Jareth says it has to do with her innocence or something of the sort." He explained sounding a bit sad. Eve really wanted to know more but she needed to get started on the labyrinth. Once it was solved she would have all the time in the world.

"I'm sorry I'd love to know more but I need to start solving the labyrinth. You know my name but I never got yours." She said and he finally stopped his work for a moment and turned to her.

"The names Hoggle. I hope you know what you're getting yourself into." He said looking up at her and his eyes set on her diamond necklace lighting up. Eve noticed and smiled.

"Do you want it?" She asked taking it off and holding it out to him.

"Wha... what do you want for it?" He asked looking at her suspiciously.

"You can have it if you show me how to get into the labyrinth." She said handing it to him.

"All you had to do was ask the right question and I would have let you in." He said wrapping it around his wrist.

"It's ok I don't want it. I'm not really one for diamonds." She said and a large door opened up along the outer wall behind them. "Thank you." She called to him as she made her way inside.

"Why thank you!" He said happily before the doors closed on their own locking her in the labyrinth.

Eve looked down each corridor around her. The walls were at least two stories tall and covered in moss and strange moving plants with eyeballs attached to each end watching her. She started going left stepping over fallen branches and making sure she didn't step on anything in her bare feet. It seemed like it went on and on and after walking straight for ten minutes or so she began to notice spots in the walls on her right that would fade in and out and finally put her hand to one to find she could walk right through it onto another corridor.

As she made her way through several different opening she found in each corridor she made her way into the part of the labyrinth where the walls and floor were made of stone. She was glad for the smooth dry surface on her feet after walking through the mossy wet corridors. Making her way through all the twist and turns and dead ends she started to think more about what Hoggle had told her. Sarah was the one who beat the labyrinth before. She wondered if she had maybe wished Toby away. It would explain his reaction to her drawing and her eyes.

The more she thought about it the sooner she realized just what Jareth meant about Sarah losing her innocence. She had lost her innocence by losing her virginity. It almost made her laugh but it made sense in a way. Jareth was supposedly obsessed with Sarah and in love with her. Something stuck out in her mind that Hoggle had said. ' _We was hoping Jareth would forget about Sarah if you came_.' A nervous shiver ran through her as she realized what he had meant. They wanted Jareth to be with her instead of continuing to mourn over not having Sarah. She couldn't even fathom being with someone like him yet alone him wanting her back. She shook it from her mind and saw a pair of hands sticking out of a corner pointing in every which way and one pointing to the castle.

Seeing the way they stuck out of the wall the way they did gave her an idea and she grabbed onto the closest one and began to pull herself up the wall with it. When she reached for the next hand it grabbed her hard by the wrist making her cry out in surprise. Her other wrist was grabbed and it held her there for a moment while she struggled then it dropped her to the ground with a thud.

"Asshole." She muttered and got to her feet. After a few more minutes of twists and turns she saw the wall in front of her shift. "Hey!" She turned around and it saw it about to shift again and quickly ran before it could and the wall closed behind her sealing her into a part of the labyrinth that no one had been in for hundreds of years. The ground was littered with gravel and weeds were growing in the cracks between each stone. She took several turns heading in the direction of the castle as best she could. Some of the stones in the walls had been pushed out of their original uniform flat surface and Eve climbed them and was about to get on top of the wall when her dress stopped her from lifting her leg high enough.

Grumbling she let herself drop landing on her feet. She took the bottom of her dress in her hands and ripped it to just up above her knees on each side glad that her tights were still intact. Now that she could move more freely she tried the wall again and got on top of it this time and stood along the top of it and began towards the castle walking along the thick stone wall. She could see little flags on sticks running aimlessly throughout other parts of the labyrinth.

"Goblins..." She muttered to herself and pulled her iPod out and listened to it while walking along the top of the stone walls towards the goblin city.

Jareth had dispatched all of the goblins to different areas in the labyrinth and even made the labyrinth shiftier than it normally would be determined to keep her from finishing. He now sat in his room watching Sarah sleep and lay down in his bed and went into her dreams. Now that the memories of the labyrinth had begun to stir in her mind he could enter her dreams. He replayed their dance in the ballroom and after she ran from him the first few times she eventually succumbed to her dream and he played it out taking it further than it had really happened. He replayed it over and over hoping she'd remember the dream when she woke.

Eve was dancing along the top of the wall using the shifting walls to get between gaps. As time went by her iPod died and she ended up fidgeting with her hair until she had pulled all of her extensions out. She finally came to a cleaner better kept part of the labyrinth and saw a forest off in the distance towards the other side of the castle.

"Definitely don't want to go that way." She said to herself looking down at her dirty feet. Once the walls thinned out and turned into tall hedges she took note of where she had to go and jumped down off the wall. When she landed she was met by a very frightened looking little goblin.

"You almost squashed me!" It cried and backed away from her. He was no bigger than her hand. "You're that girl! You've gotten so far already. The king will be most displeased." He shook his fluffy little head. Eve knelt down to get a better look at him. His hair was sticking out all over the place on his head making him look like a dandelion and two small horns hid in his mess of hair. He looked up at her with his large red eyes that matched the red armor he was wearing. "I got separated from the others on patrol. I... got lost..." He said sounding rather ashamed. "My sword is gone too."

"I can carry you if you like." Eve offered holding her palm out to him.

"Aren't you afraid of me? I'm a goblin." He said attempting to look scary. "I could attack you." He growled.

"I'll take my chances." She smiled trying not to laugh at his attempt to scare her.

"I'll go with you... but I won't help you! No, no Jareth would throw me in the bog for sure!" He said shaking at the thought of it before climbing into her hand. She set him on her shoulder and continued on her way. "My names... Merrith..." He said solemnly as if ashamed of it.

"That's a sweet name." Eve said making him grumble to himself..

"I know..." He mumbled. "It's not a very gobliny name... the others make fun of me for it and because I'm so little... they were picking on me again while we were patrolling so I ran off..." He admitted hiding his face behind her hair.

"Well I like you the way you are... you seem... a lot more intelligent than I thought a goblin would be." Eve said and he poked his face out from behind her hair.

"Really?" He asked his eyes looking hopeful.

"Of course." She smiled and he smiled too.

"I do talk better than most of thems." He laughed. "Who wants a stupid name like Brutis or Chomp anyways?"

"So what's so scary about the bog?" Eve asked curiously.

"It's the worst place in the whole labyrinth! It's a huge bog that smells so bad you can smell it through your mouth and your ears! And if you get just one drop of the smelly muck on you you'll smell gross forever." He shook his head shaking the memory of the first time he was ever sent there. They continued on and after awhile they came to a point where there were three different ways they could go. Eve stood and pondered for a few moments wishing she was tall enough to see over the hedges.

"Go right." Merrith said.

"What happened to not helping me?" Eve asked heading to the right.

"Well after they brought you here we were all going to celebrate until we found out Jareth was making you run the labyrinth. I don't even think anyone is at their posts like Jareth told them to be. We... want you to stay. He would let us watch you sometimes. You need to stay and make him forget about Sarah." He explained.

"That's the second time someone has said that to me now. What do you all expect me to do? I just want to stay here and be free of my horrible so called family." She said stopping for a moment to rub her sore feet.

"No! Don't stop moving there's... ah!" Merrith cried out with Eve as the stone beneath their feet opened up sliding them down into a dark pit. Merrith hung onto Eve's arm as tight as he could as they were caught by a sea of hands. It was a long tunnel leading down and the walls were covered with hands and arms that stopped just above the elbow with extremely dark blue and green skin. Being held in place by at least ten hands was extremely uncomfortable for Eve not used to being touched.

"What are they?" Eve asked a bit afraid.

"We're helping hands." A strange voice answered and she looked in its direction to see that some of the hands had formed a face to talk to her.

"Well thank you for catching us." She said bowing her head.

"Just tell them you want to go up." Merrith said.

"You're very welcome." Another face made of hands said and there were sudden whispers though out the hands.

"Keep quiet little goblin the girl must choose for herself." One of the faces said rudely. "So which way, up or down?"

"Up." She said quickly wanting to back up on the surface.

"Are you sure?" One asked.

"The castle is up that's where I want to go." She said firmly then whispers and yells of 'up' filled the tunnel and the hands began passing her up. Merrith hung on tightly as they got closer to the top and they lifted them all the way out giving her one last hard shove up out of the hole and it quickly closed up behind them.

"Quick get moving before another one opens up." Merrith warned and she scrambled to her feet and followed his directions until they made it the thick stone walls again. "I don't know the way from here. I only know the hedges." He warned and Eve began trying to find a spot to climb on top of the wall.

She ran through the maze looking for a good spot not really paying attention to which direction they were moving in. Then she saw what she was looking for. There was a faded spot in the wall and she walked through it making Merrith cry out.

"You just ran through a wall! How did you do that?" He asked shakily.

"I can see which walls are real and which ones are illusions. I can even see which walls are about to shift." She explained pointing to her eyes.

"Let me see." He said and she held him in her hand in front of her face and his eyes went wide. "You have eyes like Jareth. Are you immortal too?"

"I doubt it, but I've always been able to see things that no one else can." She explained.

"Like goblins?" He asked.

"Like goblins." She smiled at him and put him back on her shoulder there was another faded wall right in front of her and she went through it to find another straight ahead. It went straight and was aiming them right towards the castle. "Is this a hidden shortcut?" She asked aloud going through the twentieth wall in a row.

"Maybe, I know there isn't very many of them... so that's how you got through so fast. You can see all the hidden things..." He said thoughtfully.

"That and for awhile I was walking along the top of the stone walls." She mentioned.

"Oh you're lucky Jareth didn't see you. I don't know why he hasn't been paying attention. If he knew how close you were to being done already he would have tried to slow you down by now." He sighed sounding a bit annoyed. "He must be watching Sarah again." He rolled his eyes. "It's been over twenty years and she's forgotten about us. He just won't let it go."

"So I've heard." She rolled her eyes getting more and more annoyed at the thought that everyone seemed to expect her to get him to forget about Sarah.

"Hey!" A familiar gruff voice called after them just before she went through the next wall. Eve turned to see Hoggle running up to them. "How did you get so far?" He asked and saw Merrith hiding in her hair. "Are yous helping her?"

"Yes I am!" He said proudly and Hoggle rolled his eyes. "You helped Sarah." He said pointing a finger at Hoggle.

"That was different." He said looking to the plastic bracelet on his wrist. "She bribed me." He said shrugging. Eve could tell he was hiding something. "Sure she did... come on let's keep going." He urged.

"Jareth isn't going to be too happy when he realizes how close you are with so much time left." Hoggle said.

"How much time has passed?" Eve asked and he thought for a moment.

"You started the labyrinth five hours ago. No ones ever gotten this far before without him noticing. I wonder what he's up to" He pondered.

"Ok nice seeing you, Now less talky more walky through walls!" Merrith demanded pointing forward.

"Alright, let's go." She said and waved goodbye to Hoggle who was admiring the diamond necklace she had given him.

"Good luck Eve." He said as he walked away and she nodded and continued on the path through the walls.

Jareth was more than distracted by Sarah. He still played the same dream out over and over for a few hours then started to replay her running his labyrinth hoping if she saw it all again it'd stay with her when she woke. He was completely clueless that Eve was just outside the gates to the goblin city.

After making a sad looking pair of shoes out of pieces of cloth Eve found by tying them to her feet they made their way through the junk yard outside the goblin city. They made it to the gates that lead in and the guard was asleep at his post.

"Get in the gate and run as fast as you can or the other gates will close on you and trap you with Humongo." Merrith warned.

"What's a Humongo?" She asked.

"A giant mechanical suit of armor! He's even worse now that they fixed him." He explained with wide scared eyes and clutched onto her practically hugging her face. Looking at him she knew he would make it if he was standing on her shoulder while she was running and got an idea.

"Here you can get in my purse while I make a run for it so I don't lose you." She said taking her purse off of her shoulder. The strap on it was long enough for her to wear it tightly as a back pack and he slipped inside with just his head poking out. He hid under her hair as she pushed the door open. "Hang on." She instructed and he clutched onto the edges of her purse. Once she was sure he was secure she ran as fast as she could through the goblin city.

Eve made it past the secondary gates and kept on running towards the castle. It was just around the corner and when she turned around it she was met with a whole army of goblins armed with swords and cannons.

"Uh-oh..." Merrith said ducking down in her purse.

"Great..." Eve groaned and noticed that they weren't attacking yet. "Well I've gotten this far. Just a little further." She smiled devilishly and the goblin that was obviously in charge looked at her and she could see his eyes go wide under his helmet as she charged right towards the horde of goblins and they all quickly ran out of the way.

"We not hurt you." One of them said and they all nodded in agreement and Merrith popped his head out of her purse and climbed onto her shoulder. Several goblins dropped their jaws when they saw him.

"Pipsque... Merrith she find you!" One of them yelled triumphantly.

"I helped! Now listen to me. Pretend to battle to get the King's attention so he thinks we at least tried. I'll sound the bell!" He said rather proud and pointed towards the castle and Eve followed his lead. When they got to the massive doors they were cracked opened just enough for her to squeeze in. Once inside she found her way to the throne room to find it empty.

"Where is Jareth?" She said looking at the clock hanging on the wall. The sword hands indicated it was only six thirty and he had given her until thirteen o'clock. That had to be some sort of record.

"He's probably in his room. But I wouldn't go in there if I were you. I'd try waiting in the room over there." He pointed to a twisted staircase that lead up. "Once I ring the bell he'll know you're here and will come find you." He said running off and she heard a loud bell begin to ring and she quickly ran up the stair case.

Jareth had just finished running Sarah through the labyrinth the way she had originally ran it and was going to run her through it again the way he wished she had when he heard the loud alarm bell ringing in the distance. He sat up in bed wondering why in the world they'd be ringing the bell so soon. There was no way the girl could have gotten through the labyrinth that fast. It was impossible. He ran down to the throne room and looked out the window to see all the goblins scurrying about running in every which way but he didn't see the girl anywhere.

Summoning a crystal he saw Eve sitting on the floor his stair room looking rather confused. He looked at the clock. "Impossible!" He yelled and appeared beside her. She jumped at his presence and held her head dizzy from the rooms shifting.

Eve couldn't see the shifting in this room and it was very confusing and dizzying and ended up sitting on the floor afraid of falling off the ledge. Jareth looked down at her with fierceness in his eyes.

"How? Who helped you?" He asked glaring down at her. She was a mess. Filthy with dirt with her dress ripped up both sides and she was wearing rags on her feet. Was her hair shorter? "How are you already here!" He demanded.

"Give me a second." She groaned as she got to her feet. "I can see through all of your little illusions. Half the time I walked the top of the walls. And I did it all just like you wanted. No shoes and in this annoying dress. I did it under the time you gave me now you have to let me stay." She demanded doing her best to ignore the spinning in her head while looking him right in the eyes.

"You can't stay here. You don't belong here." He said coldly unable to believe that she could see through all of his illusions.

"Yes I do!" She said glaring into him.

"No you don't, you _need_ to go back to your world." He said never taking his eyes off of hers in an attempt to hypnotize her.

"I _never_ want to go back there." She said firmly.

"You belong there." He said staring into her using as much power as he could to gain control over her.

"No I don't! You're just saying that so you can use me to get to Sarah! I'm not stupid! And stop trying to do whatever it is your attempting to do to me because it's obviously not working." She yelled getting annoyed with him.

"How do you know about Sarah?" He asked still attempting to get a hold on her.

"Everyone I've talked to in your labyrinth has told me! And frankly I agree with them. Get over it! She's got a kid and a husband and she's happy leave her alone! Now I solved you stupid labyrinth let me stay!" She was becoming impatient and he was still staring at her intently and his eyes finally left hers. He was beyond frustrated with her especially since his powers weren't affecting her.

"Why can't I get into your mind!" He growled pacing in front of her.

"Because according to you and everyone else there is something wrong with me" She said realizing the truth in her words. Jareth didn't know what to do. He couldn't just send her back unless she willingly wanted to go after he promised she could stay if she solved the labyrinth. Who was this girl? His anger got the best of him and he grabbed her by the throat and slammed her into the wall.

"Who are you?!" He demanded as she struggled in his grip. Their sudden contact sent a jolt of power through the both of them and they both felt it. Eve was scared and Jareth looked confused. He watched as her hair changed from brunette to white blonde and her eyes brightened looking like they were glowing. Shocked from her little transformation he dropped her and she caught herself on her hands and knees. She rubbed her throat and started up at him.

"What did you do to me?" She asked as her hair fell into her face. "Wow... that's a lot brighter than I remember." She looked up at him. "Don't you touch me ever again! What's wrong with you! I did what you asked..." She went on an angry rant once more. Jareth wasn't listening anymore he was too busy staring at her and she soon noticed and stopped in the middle of her rant. "What the hell are you staring at?!" She demanded.

"An immortal child..."


	3. An Old Promise

"How did I not see it before..." Jareth said pacing for a few moments before offering his hand to help Eve to her feet. She glared at him before taking it and once she was on her feet they were suddenly in a different room.

Eve looked around to find herself in a room made of light stone with several open windows overlooking the labyrinth. She wanted to scream at him for transporting her again but saw a bed and threw herself onto it. It was so comfortable and the comforter was so soft and was even her favorite color, purple. She could have fallen asleep right then and there. Jareth paced a bit more trying to figure out what to do. Eve watched him then slowly began to realize what he had said.

"Wait did you say I was an immortal child?" She asked sitting up in bed. "What does that even mean? I know I'm different but I'm not immortal."

"You're a child of a mortal and an immortal. That means your father is an immortal. I'll be gone for awhile. _Don't_ leave the castle. This'll be your room. I'll appoint someone to show you around." He instructed before vanishing.

"Wait where are you going! You don't just tell someone that they're half immortal then disappear!" She yelled after him knowing it was no use. She groaned and lay back onto the bed tempted to take a nap when she noticed a door to the wall on her right. Curious she poked her head in to find it was a bathroom, and a rather large one at that.

There was a large bathtub on the far wall and a shower next to it. After poking around she noticed the bathroom was fully stocked to her liking. She was dying to take a shower and put clean normal clothes on but realized that she didn't have anything to change into. She doubted that they hand anything that fit her let alone something she'd want to wear judging by what she had seen Jareth in.

Stepping back into her room the whole thing had changed. The walls had smoothed out and turned a dark grey and there were dark purple curtains covering the open windows. There was now a desk fully stocked with art supplies on one wall with an easel next to it. Next to her bed was a large dresser and she pulled the drawers open to find it full of the kinds of clothes she liked to wear.

"Oh I love this place." She smiled and picked out an outfit and started the shower. Once she was out she dressed in a pair of black baggy pants with purple stitching with a matching purple vest with black stitching. She finally went to brush her hair and just stared at herself in the mirror for the longest time. The more she stared the more she started to believe what Jareth had said about her being half immortal.

Her eyes looked even brighter than she remembered but her white blonde hair made them look more natural than her hideous brunette hair did. She sat on her bed happy to be clean and have shoes on her feet. There was a knock at her door.

"Come in." She said and the door opened to reveal Hoggle. "Hi."

"Jareth wanted me to show you around. I... wow what happened to you?" He said surprised staring at her hair.

"This is my real hair color. Jareth somehow made it show..." She said rubbing her neck remembering how electric it felt when he touched her despite the fact that he was about to strangle her.

"You knows you look just like them other immortals? Maybe that's why Jareth looked so angry." Hoggle shrugged.

"Do you know where he went?" Eve asked wondering what he was up to.

"Not entirely sure, but I heard him mumbling about talking to the other immortals... You hungry? I can show you to the kitchen if you like." He asked changing the subject. Eve sighed figuring he didn't really like talking about Jareth and nodded. "Follow me."

Eve ate in the kitchen upon Hoggle's request so she didn't have to deal with all the other goblins gawking at her. Merrith joined them and afterwards they showed her around the castle. As it got dark the castle was only dimly lit by torches and candles. There were lots of guard towers and a garden in the back that was secluded from everything else that was restricted to the goblins. They made their way back to Eve's room and Hoggle stopped just outside her door.

"Top of the stairs is Jareth's room. But don't ever go in there. He'll throw you into the bog if he catches ya." Hoggle warned. She said goodbye to her friends and closed the door collapsing on her bed realizing how tired she was. She rolled back out of bed and blew out all the candles lighting her room and locked her door before undressing and getting under the thick comforter with just her bra and panties on remembering that the tower she was in was restricted to everyone unless they were invited by her or Jareth. She was about to blow out the last candle on her nightstand when Jareth appeared beside her bed making her yell out in surprise and knock the candle to the floor leaving them in darkness. Eve quickly covered herself with her comforter.

"Get the hell out of my room! I don't care if you're the goblin king you need to knock first!" Eve yelled and only heard him sigh in response. All the candles in the room suddenly relit themselves and Eve looked down to find that her clothes had appeared onto her. Jareth was shaking his head at her.

He had gone to talk to the other immortals to find out if they knew who Eve's father was and found nothing.

"I asked the other immortals if they knew who your father was and no one knows anything." He said sounding a bit annoyed ignoring her angry glare deep in thought. "But... I will help you find him... _only_ if you help me." He said smiling darkly at her.

"No." She said firmly. "I'm not helping you get to Sarah. And you still haven't explained this whole thing to me. What am I?" She demanded.

"You're half immortal. For now. Once you reach your father's physical age then you will become immortal and your powers will be fully awakened." He said turning for the door not wanting to deal with her any longer wanting to check on Sarah to see if she remembered anything. Eve quickly jumped out of bed and blocked him from leaving.

"You can't just keep giving me these damned half assed answers then walk away! What do you mean my powers will be awakened? And give up on this whole Sarah thing! She didn't want you before what makes you think she'll want you now? I can't believeah!" Eve cried out in surprise as he walked right through her and her door sending a strange whirring sensation through her entire body. She huffed angrily and quickly unlocked her door and ran up the stairs after him.

He had a feeling she'd follow and he stopped in front of her making her smack right into him. She fell to her hands and knees on the stairs.

"Are you always this much of an asshole?" She asked glaring up at him.

"Do you always speak with such a foul tongue?" He shot back at her and walked through his door leaving her alone in the corridor of stairs. She was really starting to get on his nerves. With all the confusion Eve had caused he hadn't had time to check on Sarah and just wanted to be left alone so he could get back to what he was doing before she came.

"Only when selfish Goblin Kings constantly give me vague answers!" Eve yelled in reply as she got to her feet and began banging on his door. She was really starting to push his buttons. He reached through the door and caught her fist in his hand before it met with the door again and pushed her backwards stepping through the door.

"Selfish?" He asked darkly as she attempted to pull her hand out of his only making him step closer to her.

"Yes you're selfish! All you care about is getting Sarah back here. I bet you were going to spy on her just now if I had gone back to my room." She said still trying to free her hand from his. That strange electric feeling was pulsing through her again and his skin on hers was making a strange tingling sensation. "Let me go!" He released her hand and she held it to her chest. "What is that?" She demanded as the feeling subsided.

"What?" Jareth asked confused as to what she was referring to.

"That strange electric feeling every time you touch me." She asked flexing her hand.

"You feel that too?" He asked looking surprised. "You're just sensing my power. I can feel yours too, whoever father is, he's must be extremely powerful. Only one immortal is more powerful than I..." He thought about it for a moment. Eve could see in his eyes he was coming up with some sort of plan.

"If it has to do with Sarah I'm not doing it." She said firmly.

"You think that's all I do is obsess over Sarah all day?" Jareth asked looming over her. "I also have a labyrinth to look after. If you want to find your father I need you to take my book back into the mortal world and leave it where you were taken from so someone else will find it and pass it on."

"Ok fine, _but_ you're coming with me. There's no way I'm going back there alone." She said.

"We'll leave in the morning." He said smiling and walked through his door again. Eve glared after him knowing he'd attempt to try and see Sarah. She shook her head and went back to her room and undressed again and got back into bed.

She started to wonder if she had any immortal powers yet that she didn't know about remembering that Jareth had said her powers would be fully awakened when she came of age, meaning she could have some already. As she imagined what powers she could have or wanted to have and quickly drifted to sleep.

"Stupid girl." Jareth laughed as he summoned a crystal to see Sarah talking with Toby about going back to where she saw Eve disappear and investigate once it got dark. Nothing was going to stop him from seeing her when he went back to the mortal world with Eve. If they planned on going at night that meant it'd be daytime in the Labyrinth. Soon he'd have her again.

Eve slowly opened her eyes as the curtains in her room opened on their own and flooded her room with sunlight. She groaned and pulled the comforter over her head.

"I can't believe you're still in bed." She heard Jareth say above her and she peeked out of the comforter to see him standing beside her bed with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Would it kill you to knock?" She asked pulling the comforter tighter around her as she uncovered the rest of her head. Jareth was impatient and had attempted to wait for her to wake up on her own but he was too anxious wanting to make it to the mortal world before Sarah returned to where Eve was taken. He grabbed the comforter and pulled it off of her and she cried out in protest until she realized she was already dressed.

"Get up let's go." He commanded.

"Geeze you can't even give me time to dress myself? I want breakfast." She protested sitting up in bed.

"Here." He said holding a peach out to her.

"What did you do to it?" She asked eyeing it suspiciously.

"Nothing now take it and let's go." He said impatiently and she got to her feet.

"Someone's in a hurry..." She said getting the book out of her purse that was hanging on the back of her chair and putting it in her side pocket on her pants. She hesitantly took the peach from him wishing that she hadn't told him to come with her knowing he might try something on Sarah if they ran into her.

"We're leaving." He said and they were suddenly standing in the garden where Eve was taken the night before. It was dark out and the garden was lit only by the full moon.

"I hate it when you do that." She glared at him and bit into her peach.

"I know." He smiled as he heard Sarah and Toby coming from around the corner. Eve took the book out of her pocket and dropped it where she was taken unaware of Sarah and Toby approaching and took another bite of her peach.

"There. Now where do we start looking for my father? Do you know where he might be? What's his name?" She asked then looked up to see Sarah and Toby and stood frozen not knowing what to do. But they didn't seem to see her and she turned to Jareth. "Can they not see me?"

"If they can't see me they can't see you." He said and stood near Sarah making Eve roll her eyes at him as she finished her peach.

"Sarah it's Eve's book!" Toby shined his flashlight onto it and picked it up handing it to Sarah.

"You know I think I used to have a book like this." Sarah said running her fingers over the cover. She had the same strange feeling of familiarity that she did the other night and her dream of dancing came back to her. All she could remember was she was dancing with someone, she couldn't put a face or a name to them, it was just a blur like a lost memory that wouldn't awaken.

"What do you think happened to Eve?" Toby asked.

"I don't know. I remember she shouted something about goblins just before she disappeared." Sarah said absent mindedly and opened the book to a random page as Toby held the flashlight so they could read it. Jareth watched with anticipation and Eve could see the hope in his eyes and she was tempted to grab him and drag him away but stopped herself interested in how it would turn out.

"Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the goblin city to take back the child you have stolen..." Sarah read aloud trailing off as she started to remember more of her dream. She remembered walking for a long time and strange creatures and her determination to get to something but that was it.

"For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom as great..." Toby continued swearing he had heard those words before but unsure where.

Eve recognized that they were reading what was to be said in order to save the child that was wished away from the goblin king, Jareth. Then it hit her, Sarah had said those words to Jareth all those years ago. If she finished reading it might unlock her memory to him and the labyrinth. Seeing the eager look on Jareth's face she knew that he had planned this. That's why he was in such a hurry to leave when they did. She was tempted to try and stop her realizing she probably couldn't do much of anything since they couldn't see her.

She glanced over at Jareth again and seeing the hopeful look on his face she almost felt sorry for him. It was like he couldn't help but want her. Sarah was all he had wanted all these years. From what she had heard from everyone around the castle she was the first person he ever really wanted and she refused him. She was a bit jealous never knowing how it felt to love or want someone. Eve was never given enough freedom to meet anyone she might want to be with. She had small feelings for Toby but she knew it was only because he was one of the first people to treat her like she was a normal person.

"You have no power over me." Sarah read the last line out loud and Jareth quickly reappeared beside Eve as he saw the look in her eyes as all her memories of the labyrinth came flooding back to her. He put a hand over Eve's mouth and pulled her out of sight behind the stone archway.

"Don't make a sound." He instructed and released her surprised she didn't make any smart remarks. They both watched as Sarah dropped the book and looked to Toby.

"I know where Eve is... I can't believe I had forgotten everything..." Sarah said looking around the garden then her eyes set onto the book she had dropped. She remembered everything and now what Eve had said before disappearing made sense. She had wished herself away to the Labyrinth. Jareth was there when she was taken, the owl. There was a familiar musical hum in the air. Picking up the book she scanned the garden again.

"Where's Eve?" Toby asked staring at his sister as she looked all around them as if searching for something and she shushed him. She listened again and could still hear the musical humming but couldn't figure out where it was coming from.

"Jareth where are you! I know you're here!" Sarah yelled looking around. Jareth stepped out from behind the archway and before Eve could follow he trapped her in a crystal and set it in the arrangement of flowers.

"Sarah." He smiled. "It's been so long." He said bowing to her. Toby stared at him in shock as he vaguely remembered seeing him before. Then he recalled the story Sarah used to tell him when he was younger. The story about how she saved him from being turned into a goblin. He always thought it was just a story she made up just for him, but now seeing Jareth before him he knew it was all real.

"What did you do to Eve?" Sarah demanded.

"No!" Eve yelled as she banged the sides of the crystal with her fists. She screamed obscenities and kicked and punched the walls of the crystal that encased her. After a few moments of screaming and fighting she listened to what was going on since she couldn't see from where she was. Jareth was making pointless small talk that Sarah sounded in no way in the mood for. Toby started to question Jareth with Sarah about her. He was using her as a way to get Sarah back to the labyrinth. Eve then remembered that she had some power she just needed to figure out how to use it.

"I promise she is fine. It was her choice to stay she even ran the labyrinth to prove it!" Jareth attempted to explain knowing that she wouldn't believe him which was what he was hoping for.

"I don't believe you! You brain washed her, tricked her somehow didn't you?" She said accusingly.

"Now why would I do that? You were here when she wished herself away. Trust me I don't want her there anymore than you do, but she refuses to come back to your world and rules are rules she will remain in my Labyrinth as long as she wants to stay." He explained enjoying how predictable she was even after all these years.

"Sarah listen to him. Trust me Eve wasn't happy here at all. She told me herself she wanted to live in the Labyrinth." Toby pleaded with her hoping she'd listen instead of end up doing something stupid.

"You don't understand Toby. He's manipulative and evil. He's up to something." She said and there was a sound of glass breaking from behind Jareth and a girl with white blonde hair came towards Jareth looking rather angry, after a few moments she realized that it was Eve.

"You bastard! I almost felt sorry for you for a moment then you go and trap me in a crystal so you can trick Sarah back into your labyrinth! You're pathetic!" Eve was furious and was unaware of her glowing hair and eyes from the little bit of power she used to free herself. Sarah and Toby were staring at her wide eyed and Jareth was in shock.

"How did you get out?" He demanded.

"How do you think?" She said glaring at him then turned to Sarah. "He's telling the truth. I want to stay in the Labyrinth. I like it there. It's where I belong."

"Eve?" Toby said in awe. "You're..."

"I know... but you two get out of here and go home!" She warned and Jareth grabbed her by the wrist.

"What are you doing?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"Keeping them safe from you." She spat at him and yanked her arm free. He was livid, so many years he had been waiting for this moment and she was ruining it. In a last ditch effort he summoned a crystal.

"Oh Toby..." He called. "Catch." He threw the crystal at Toby and just as he had thought she would Sarah ran in front of him to protect him. Eve concentrated and held out her hand and the crystal changed course and floated just above the palm of her hand before disappearing.

"Go get out of here!" She screamed after them and they took off. Jareth glared at her as he went after them and he was surprised when Eve wrapped a hand around his wrist as he walked past her and she pulled him back. "Leave her alone. She obviously doesn't like you yet alone trust you. Why continue after someone who doesn't even trust you?" He stared down at the ground wishing her words weren't true, but they were.

All these years he had illusioned himself to think she would just drop everything and return to the labyrinth with him. He didn't know of anything else other than imagining her at his side. She was the first to beat him and the first to refuse him. But now someone else had run the labyrinth and she obviously didn't want much to do with him either. Then again she was immortal giving her an advantage that Sarah didn't have.

He didn't want Eve to be right. He wanted to hear the words from Sarah himself that she was happy in her life she had and didn't need him. Until then he would still try. He turned to Eve and advanced on her making her eyes go wide. She backed into the wall behind her knowing she had really set him off this time. He wrapped his fingers around her throat.

"Jareth put her down." A soothing voice of a man commanded from behind Jareth. Eve peeked around him to see a man not much older than herself with bright orange hair that stopped just past his shoulders dressed in a dark blue silk button down shirt with black silk dress pants. A silver crescent moon on a small chain hung from his neck with a sparkling green gem in the center.

"Julian." Jareth said as he quickly released Eve and she curiously stepped towards him now able to see him fully. Eve gasped as she saw his eyes. One was white the other blue. "We were just about to come looking for you." He said turning to him sounding a bit nervous making Eve give Jareth a questioning look then she looked back to Julian whose eyes met with hers. Suddenly a spark hit her and they both relived each others memories since the day she was born in a matter of seconds. He felt all the pain and loneliness she had endured and she felt all the worry and sadness he had not knowing where she was or if she was ok.

"Dad..." A tear streamed down her face and they embraced one another. When they released each other they were standing in her new bedroom.

"I'm so sorry your mother turned into such a wretched woman. She didn't use to be like that." He apologized as Eve wiped her tears away. "Once you were a week old and she started to notice your hair and eyes she panicked and took off and I never saw you again. She hid you from me all these years. She never knew who I really was. I never got to tell her before she ran off I hid my eyes from her as she did yours from the world. I just wanted a child so much I never had it in me to tell her who I really was."

"It's not your fault. No one ever saw the real me. Not even her husband. He had no idea. But I was still a baby when they got together that I believed he was my father for the longest time." She explained sitting on her bed.

"If it wasn't for you wishing yourself away and opening a portal to Jareth's labyrinth I might have never found you I felt it and his presence yesterday and thought he was just stealing a child. Then I felt it again and then I sensed you when you used some of your power and I came as fast as I could. Quite funny how you're already here with him. Sorry to find out he's still after that Sarah girl though." He said looking a bit upset.

"What do you mean, already here, was I supposed to end up here?" Eve was confused.

"Jareth where did you run off to?" Julian asked aloud and Jareth appeared leaning on the dresser.

"Yes Jules?" He asked humbly.

"Don't you remember that night I found you flying about my house oh say twenty four years ago?" Julian asked looking rather thoughtful.

"Yes." He replied dryly not wanting to remember that night. It was the night Sarah had beaten him and he just let himself fly aimlessly and had somehow ended up at Julian's window.

"Do you not remember what I promised you?" He asked and Eve looked between the two of them becoming a bit afraid of what they might be talking about. Jareth thought about it trying to remember their conversation that night but all his mind could dwell on was Sarah and how he had lost her, yet again. Then his eyes went wide when it hit him and he looked to Eve then back to Julian and slowly nodded afraid to say it out loud.

"There is no way that will happen now. I never thought you'd..." He was at a loss for words.

"Oh come now, you know I'd never promise such a thing and not follow through. Besides you agreed to it wholly. Look at where you are now she's already here and without my doing, that has to be worth something." Julian explained nodding towards Eve making her uneasy.

"Alright what are you two talking about? I know it has to do with me. Just tell me." Eve demanded and Julian looked to Jareth.

"No." He said firmly shaking his head. "You can tell her. But I don't want part of it. I never thought it'd come to pass and I wasn't in my right mind when I agreed to it."

"Tell me what is going on!" Eve demanded and Jareth was tempted to disappear but decided to stay to see her reaction.

"Well first off you need to remember this happened before you were born. I had just met your mother a few days before Jareth came to me. I promised him he could have my next child. If you were a boy you could be a hand around the labyrinth, if a girl he could have you in marriage for both of your eternal lives..."


	4. A New Kind Of Hope

"You what?" Eve was in shock. "I wasn't even born yet how could you already promise me to someone! And worst of all to _him_!" She motioned to Jareth.

"The same can be said about you." Jareth hissed.

"I'm sorry but it's not going to happen." Eve said firmly to her father crossing her arms facing away from the both of them.

"I never said you had to. It was just an old promise I made to him which he had _obviously_ forgotten about. But Jareth is the only man I'd trust to be with you. Mortals are too unpredictable and untrustworthy." Julian explained throwing a glare at Jareth who caught his gaze. "I'll leave you to your thoughts for the moment I need to have a word with Jareth." The two of them left her sitting on her bed.

Once they were in Jareth's room and the door was closed Julian glared at him.

"How could you forget? I promised you that because I didn't want my child to spend her days in that horrible mortal world and so you could stop moping about that mortal Sarah. But no you're still obsessed with her and you now have my daughter living in your castle, who hates you for still going after this girl. And you haven't been the nicest host either. Don't think I didn't know you were about to strangle her before I intervened and I know you've done it before. I know everything she does so don't even attempt to deny it." Julian went on blowing up on him. Jareth glared back at him unsure of what to say. "I know, I know Sarah was the first mortal to refuse you making her all the more tempting and the first to solve your labyrinth. It's clear from what I've seen she doesn't want you. Give Evelyn a chance. She's been through hell living in the mortal world."

"What are you talking about? She had a controlling mother who was hiding her from the world and forcing her to live her lifestyle. I don't see what the..."

"Then maybe you should actually talk to her. You've even been watching her and you don't know?" Julian cut him off as Eve's memories of the mental hospital flashed through his mind. "I don't even want to talk about it. You should talk to her... In the meantime I think I'll go on a little walk. I'll be back in time for lunch." He explained and jumped out the window landing on a ledge as an orange cat and maneuvered his way down the castle wall and out of Jareth's sight.

Eve sat at her desk and began drawing. Creating art was always something that helped her calm down. She felt partially betrayed by her father for promising her to Jareth before she was even born. At least he wasn't forcing either of them to do anything. The more she thought about it the more she started to realize that Jareth could have remembered this whole time about the promise hoping that Julian had forgotten about it. Either way it was angering. She wasn't a horrible person to get along with was she? She knew she was at least pretty remembering how Toby gawked at her when he first saw her the way she really was. Then again Jareth was probably used to seeing other immortals like her. She shook her head at the thought of him even wanting willingly to be alone with her in the same room.

"What am I thinking he's a selfish, manipulative, bastard that only wants everything to go his way meaning Sarah jumps into his arms begging to stay with him forever." She said aloud to herself and continued her drawing.

"Really now?" Jareth said behind her and the pencil on the paper stopped and she turned and glared at him.

"Get the hell out of my room _now_." She demanded and he sat on her desk.

"What are you drawing?" He asked leaning closer to her and she quickly covered the picture with her arms defensively.

"None of your business. Now get out or I'll throw you out myself!" She threatened and he crossed his arms not moving from her desk. She quickly stood and grabbed him hard by the wrist and yanked him to his feet catching him off guard she had dragged him to her door when he had realized what had happened and his wrist went right through her hand. She turned around and grabbed him again only this time he couldn't get free.

"Ok mister walk through everything, get out of my room!" Eve yelled and threw him through the wall. He stood in the hallway rather confused at how she even managed to force him through the wall and attempted to walk back through into her room only to smack into the hard stone. "Now you have to knock like everyone else!" She yelled on the other side of the wall and returned to her drawing. Jareth glared at the wall for a moment then knocked on her door. "Go away!" She screamed and he heard her lock the door.

"Fine I didn't want to talk to you anyway!" He yelled at her door and headed up to his room. Eve sighed once she heard his door slam shut and continued her drawing. After a few moments of silence she heard a faint voice. It was a girl calling her name. After it called to her she soon realized who it was.

"Sarah?" Eve asked out loud.

"Eve! Can you hear me?" Her disembodied voice asked.

"Yes, where are you?" Eve looked around.

"Do you have a mirror or a crystal?" She asked and Eve summoned a large crystal using her father's memories and set it on a pillow on her bed and saw Sarah staring back at her.

"Sarah how did you..." Eve began not really sure what was going on.

"This is how I used to communicate with everyone in the Labyrinth after I left. I tried everyone else I used to talk to but no one has responded back. Not even Hoggle." Sarah explained.

"They're probably ignoring you. And I don't blame them. It's not that they're mad at you. They just don't want Jareth to think there is ever a chance of you coming back. If they were caught talking to you it would get his hopes up and that's the last thing anyone here wants..." She trailed off.

"I can't believe after all these years he still thinks I'll be with him. What's going on over there anyways?" Sarah asked looking a bit afraid of knowing the answer. Eve explained everything. How she solved the labyrinth and what everyone around the castle has been telling her about Jareth and the things that he's done since she arrived. Then she told her about her real father and her being an immortal child and so on. The whole time they talked Eve was so into her conversation that she never noticed that Jareth was listening in the whole time sitting in her window sill out of her view in owl form.

"I can't believe that. I just hope things go well for you over there. And you can tell Jareth that I told you myself that I want nothing to do with him. He stole Toby from me and did all he could to get me to forget about my normal life and stay in the Labyrinth with him. I didn't want him then and I never have and never will. I'm happy with my life. I have my own family now and I don't need anyone else. I even sent the book to the other side of the country so that I'd never have to worry about it ruining my family." Sarah explained and Eve nodded.

"Don't worry I'll tell him." She confirmed and a few seconds later there was a sound of a baby crying in the background.

"It was nice talking to you again. If you ever want to talk you know how to contact me. I'm off to my Motherly duties. Goodbye for now." She smiled and disappeared. Eve waved the crystal away and turned to go back to her desk to see Jareth sitting in her window looking rather confused and upset.

"You've been listening this whole time haven't you?" Eve asked returning to her drawing. Jareth barely nodded. "Good then I don't have to repeat anything." She continued her art doing her best to ignore him knowing it'd be a bit too mean to kick him out after he heard what Sarah had said. She looked up at him every few moments. He looked deep in thought as he stared off into the labyrinth with a sullen look on his face.

"I wasted so much time on her for nothing." Jareth spoke finally, talking mostly to himself. He had known that Sarah didn't want him since he saw her in the garden when she remembered but hearing her say it finally made it real. Now he had all the time in the world to do anything he wanted instead of occupying himself with watching her. It hurt to replay the words in his head what she had said about him then compared them to the things Eve had said to him. At least she had the courage to say it to his face. No one had ever denied him directly except for Sarah all those years ago. He could have any mortal or immortal he wanted with his charm and powers but not Sarah and so far not Eve.

The more he thought about it the more he liked the idea of pursuing his promise to Julian. It was something new and challenging. He watched her work on her art. She was rather beautiful considering her mother was a mortal. He wished he could share the link that immortals had with their children with her, it would definitely help him understand her better. Unfortunately Eve was right when she accused him of not paying enough attention to her when he spied on her. There wasn't much he knew about her, but he could tell by her reactions to him so far that she had never been with anyone in any sort of relationship. From what he could tell Toby was as close as she got to men other than when her mother would force her to mingle at her social gatherings.

She would look up at him every few moments from her drawing. He started to wonder how she would react if he were to attempt a few things on her wondering just how innocent she was to handling men in certain situations. He smiled to himself just as she looked up at him again.

"Whatever stupid thing you're planning just stop. Doing something rash and idiotic won't get her to change her mind about you." She said glaring up at him and he had to keep himself from laughing at her unneeded warning. He appeared leaning on her desk finally getting a glimpse of what she was drawing. She had drawn a large house in the background surrounded by a large yard filled with an elaborate garden and an empty unfinished space in the center with outlines of people drawn. Eve jumped a bit as she turned her head slightly catching sight of him.

"What is it that you're drawing?" He asked leaning towards her making her lean away from him.

"You can figure it out when it's done, now get _off_ my desk." She said calmly.

"What not going to kick me out again?" He asked provocatively leaning even closer to her enjoying how uncomfortable he was making her.

"Not just yet but I will if you keep doing that! Have you ever heard of personal space because you're invading mine!" She yelled tempted to shove him off her desk but not wanting to touch him.

"Then _do_ something about it." He taunted now practically laying on her desk just mere inches from her he could see the panic in her eyes and she suddenly disappeared. "Well this could be fun." He smiled and returned to his room.

Eve had appeared inside what looked like a large cottage with walls made of large rocks. There was a small fire lit in the fireplace and there was a frightened sound behind her. She turned around to see a large beast that loomed over her covered in reddish brown fur with two horns and had two small fangs poking out if its bottom lip. He had a scared expression on his face and was shaking. Eve just stared back at him equally frightened and confused.

"Eve?" Came Hoggle's voice and she looked down to see him. "How did you get in here?"

"I don't know I panicked and I ended up here." She said her eyes watching the beast with caution and Hoggle gave him a nudge.

"It's ok Ludo she's a friend." Hoggle reassured him and he stopped shaking and pointed at her.

"Eeeveee friend?" He asked in his deep monstrous voice and she nodded. "Friend!" He said happily and hugged her then went and sat in an enormous chair made of stone by the fire smiling at her.

"So why'd you get all panicked. Is Jareth giving you troubles?" Hoggle asked looking up at her.

"Sort of. He listened in on me and Sarah's conversation and..."

"So yours the one whose she ended up talking to. She tried us earlier. But we's smart and didn't say nothing to her." He nodded proudly.

"Well you won't have to worry about Jareth going after her anymore..." She thought for a moment and came to a realization that made butterflies flutter in her stomach and she quickly sat at on the small chair closest to her before speaking again. "I think he wants me now"

"Good, about time he did something smart." Hoggle shrugged like it was no big deal.

"Why is everyone acting like it's no big deal if we were together? I just met him and he's a total jerk! My father wants us to get married and you all want us to be together! I'm only twenty three!" She went off waving her hands about before resting her face in her hands.

"What does age matter huh? You're going to live forever anyhows. You wants to stay in the labyrinth you don't cha?" Hoggle asked and she nodded. "Well then what's the problem? Unless ye wants to be alones forever. Not even I want that." He said furrowing his overgrown eyebrows as Eve glared at him from between her fingers. She knew in a way he was right, but she just wouldn't accept the fact that she might actually end up with Jareth.

"I won't be alone. I have you guys as friends." She pointed out.

"Eve Friend!" Ludo said happily from his chair his large furry tail moving frantically about. "Eve meet brother Didymus!"

"Ludo I told you he's going to be gone for a few days till he gets that fiery gang back into the lost forest where they belong. Crazy things..." Hoggle grumbled and Ludo frowned a little.

"Well I better get back to the castle." Eve said heading for the large door.

"You sure?" Hoggle asked.

"Yeah. Besides I need to talk to Jareth." She said and closed her eyes and concentrated and when she opened them she was in her room. She sighed in relief that she didn't appear in some random part of the castle like Jareth's room and sat on her bed.

"So you wanted to talk to me?" Jareth asked appearing beside her on the bed making Eve let out a scared squeak. She quickly recomposed herself and scooted away from him.

"Don't you have anything better to do than spy on me?" She asked glaring at him.

"Not really, no." He smirked.

"I just wanted to say thank you for letting me stay here." She said standing from the bed not liking how he was starting to lean closer to her.

"Your welcome. If there is ever _anything_ that you need just ask." He said eyeing her up and down making her uneasy as she caught on to what he had meant.

"What is wrong with you? First you didn't even want me here and now you're ogling me like a high school boy would a cheerleader." Eve said getting sick of ignoring his strange behavior.

"Just been thinking about Julian's promise..." He smiled getting the response he wanted from her. Her eyes went wide and her cheeks went red. She quickly turned and left her room without a word. He liked that she didn't beat around the bush to stay away from him and just out right said what she knew was going on. She was definitely different from Sarah, no whining and very straight forward with things, at least so far.

Eve quickly walked down the path of stairs that led into the throne room. How could he go so quickly from wanting Sarah to her? It just didn't seem right when she entered the throne room she stopped halfway through and turned around to head back up to confront him when she realized what was happening and smacked right into Jareth. She grumbled under her breath and Jareth laughed looking down on her.

"I know what you're up to." She said pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Do you now?" He asked looking amused.

"You just want me to help make yourself feel better because now that you know Sarah never wanted you and you can never have her so you're just settling for me. I don't want to be your rebound girl or anything close to that for you ever! So whatever thoughts you have about me and you just forget about them! I'm not stupid! Just because I've never been with anyone doesn't mean I don't know how men work, mortal or immortal you're all alike!" She went off on him and turned to leave when his hand on her shoulder stopped her. He was definitely beginning to like her now. She didn't like illusions and he knew she was partially right about him going after because he was upset about Sarah but on top that he was really starting to like her. She was straight forward with him and called him out on his tricks. He slowly turned her around by her shoulders and contemplated what his body was screaming at him to do.

Eve glared back at him wishing he'd take his hands off of her starting to get a bit overwhelmed by the electric feeling from sensing his power. She was about to jerk herself away from him when he pulled her closer and his lips met with hers. The sensation was overwhelming and at first she wasn't sure what was happening. All the times they had touched before he always had his gloves on but their bare lips on one anothers intensified the strange electric feeling and sent a tingling sensation throughout her entire body. She felt like she might fall at any second and voted against grabbing onto Jareth and ended up just clenching her fists unsure of what to do and unsure of what was happening.

Jareth felt the same thing from her only he was more aware of what he was doing and was extremely tempted to take the kiss even further, but had to stop himself remembering Julian was close by and that she was still extremely new to all of this. He slowly pulled away from the kiss and released her taking a step back so they could both recompose themselves. Eve looked around in a daze and slowly released her fists to see her fingernail marks imbedded into her palms. When her eyes set on Jareth it all suddenly clicked into place what had happened as she licked her lips.

"You just... oh you asshole! Don't touch me ever again! What the hell is wrong with you!" She yelled wanting to hit him knowing it would only give him another chance to do something stupid and instead turned and stormed out of the castle and into the goblin city. Just as she turned the corner she almost ran into her father who quickly moved out of the way and caught her by the wrist to stop her.

"Where are you going? Let's have lunch." He said happily smiling at her.

"Not if _he's_ going to be there." She said yanking her wrist free. "I'll join you in a little bit. I just want to be alone right now." Her father nodded and watched her walk off into the city. Julian quickly made his way into the castle curious as to what had upset her so much. When he entered the throne room he found Jareth leaning on his throne staring off into nothingness.

"I can't believe I did that." He said out loud to himself.

"What did you do?" Julian demanded.

"I kissed her." He laughed. "She was yelling at me telling me that wanting her was only because I couldn't have Sarah and that there would never be an us and something just came over me..."

"Well next time don't." He threatened. "You can't just expect her to suddenly change her mind about you... she doesn't trust you... you really need to just talk to her."

"I tried. She threw me out of her room. She's even disappeared on me. You need to teach her to control her powers." He explained.

"Me? Oh no that is all on you. She wanted to live here in your castle therefore it's your job to teach her everything. Besides I'm leaving tonight. As much as I want to spend time with her she needs to adapt to this place and being around her kind without me." Julian said smiling deviously.

"Her kind? I'm the only immortal here besides her." Jareth pointed out.

"Exactly. How else are you going to get close to her? It's obvious that's what you want isn't it?" He asked.

"Yes, but it seems like she'd rather spend her time with anyone other than myself. This isn't going to be easy." Jareth said sitting in his throne.

"No it won't, but she'll come around eventually. You need to talk to her get to know her she'll open up to you. Don't let her shut you out. She's not used to having someone to talk to, you have to ease her into it." He explained.

"Alright, but you have to tell her that you're leaving. I _don't_ want to deal with that." He said imagining her reaction. Julian nodded and headed to the kitchen to order them some lunch.

Eve walked the streets of the goblin city. Many stopped and waved at her and she'd wave back and continue walking lost in thought. She couldn't believe what Jareth had done. He actually kissed her. No one had ever even attempted to get that close to her before. The experience was overwhelming actually making skin on skin contact with him for the first time and sensing his power so intensely. Would it always be like that, she wondered. Out of all the confusion of the whole thing she remembered how soft his lips felt. She shook her head trying to get the thought out of her head. Her first kiss ever and it was from Jareth, the immortal Goblin King. What did it matter who he was? She didn't like him. She couldn't. He may have saved her from her mother's world but that didn't mean she owed him anything. She was forced to run his labyrinth in order to prove that she really wanted to stay. A small familiar voice calling after her took her away from her thoughts. She turned towards the voice to see Merrith struggling to catch up with her and she stopped picking him up in her hand bringing him to her eye level.

"Eve, what are you doing this far in the city. Won't Jareth be mad you're out alone?" He asked concerned. He wasn't in his red armor, he was in a little pair of black trousers with shoes strapped to his feet and a red shirt that loosely fit his small body the long sleeves were rolled up to reveal his small hands.

"I can go wherever I want. I don't need a body guard." She said and he frowned.

"Are you sure? I could be your guard." He looked at her with hopeful eyes and it gave her an idea.

"Of course you can. Want to have lunch with me and my father?" She asked and his face lit up.

"Yes indeed! I will go with you wherever you need me!" He said bowing making Eve laugh. She put him on her shoulder and they headed back to the castle together. "So is Jareth still watching Sarah? I heard you two went to the mortal world earlier."

"No he's going to leave Sarah alone now. But now it seems he's after me." She explained sounding rather unenthused.

"Is that not a good thing?" He asked a bit confused.

"No it's not. I don't like him, yet alone trust him. He..." She stopped herself not wanting to even think about him kissing her again.

"He what?" Merrith asked innocently.

"I don't want to talk about it." Eve admitted.

"Talking about it usually makes it better." He urged.

"Jareth... her... kissed me, that's why I wanted you to be my guard, so he won't try it again." She explained.

"But that's a good thing. He doesn't want Sarah anymore he wants you. Why don't you want him too?" He asked confused.

"Because I just met him. I don't know anything about him and he obviously doesn't know anything about me. He just suddenly wanted me once he realized Sarah wanted nothing to do with him. I don't want him to want me because he just wants to be with someone. I want him to want me for me." She went on as they made their way into through the throne room.

"But how can he do that if you don't give him the chance?" He asked making Eve stop in her tracks. She knew he was right and it kind of hurt to think about. She never did let anyone get to know the real her. She was always to afraid of them getting scared away by how different she was, but she knew that wouldn't happen with Jareth, and the thought that she could be that close with someone almost scared her, but gave her a new kind of hope.

"You know you're way too smart for a goblin." She said making Merrith blush and they headed into the dining hall to join Jareth and her father.


	5. Teleporting Touch

As soon as Jareth set eyes on Eve and Merrith when they joined him and Julian at the table he was surprised to see that she had brought someone with her and it angered him knowing that it was one of his own goblins. But it wasn't just any goblin; it was the only smart goblin in the entire labyrinth. Was he the one that helped her? He wondered noticing how he cowered behind Eve's hair when he set eyes on him.

Eve noticed Jareth's glare and returned it as Merrith walked down her arm and sat next to her on the table. Her father smiled at them.

"Who's your friend?" Julian asked doing his best to ignore the hostile stares being shared between Jareth and his daughter.

"This is Merrith, the smartest goblin in the labyrinth." She said and he stood and took a bow blushing a bit. They ate in awkward silence as Jareth stole glances at Eve from across the table and she did the same to him. Merrith and Julian were both trying to figure out something to say to break the silence without starting an argument between the two of them.

"So Jareth mentioned you teleported away from him earlier." Julian said and Eve looked up at him.

"He was in my personal space and I freaked out and somehow ended up at Hoggle's house. I didn't even know I could do that." She explained getting an interested look from Jareth.

"Hoggle's?" Jareth asked and Eve ignored him.

"Jareth will have to teach you more about your power. Help you control it." Julian explained and Jareth watched as Eve's face contorted into confusion.

"Why not you?" She asked flashing an angry glare at Jareth before turning her attention back to her father.

"Because... I'm leaving tonight." He announced knowing he had to tell her sometime.

"What? Why?" Eve demanded.

"It'll be better for you to adjust to the immortal world without me here to hold your hand. Besides Jareth is the one who decided to let you stay here so he's the one that needs to help you get used to our world." Julian explained as Jareth did his best to ignore Eve's icy glare. She was convinced that he had something to do with her father wanting to leave.

"Well fine then, why don't you just leave now?!" She yelled as she stood from the table placing a scared Merrith on her shoulder.

"If that's what you want." Julian said calmly and disappeared. Jareth stared where Julian was just standing as if he'd reappear any second.

"Julian that's not funny." He said out loud standing from his chair. All three of them stared at the same spot for a few moments.

"What did you say to him? I know you did something to make him want to leave." Eve accused.

"You really think I wanted him to leave? It was his choice. What makes you think I want to be stuck training a twenty three year old halfling that has the potential to be more powerful than me?" He asked unknowingly stepping closer to her.

"Then tell me the _real_ reason he left?" She demanded making Merrith cover his ears from her yelling. A crystal appeared beside her and floated off with Merrith trapped inside. "What are you doing?" She attempted to get the crystal to float to her but it disappeared.

"Calm down I just sent him home. He doesn't need to be here." Jareth explained taking a few more steps closer to her this time she took notice and started to back away eyeing him suspiciously.

"Yes he does. Why do you think I brought him with me in the first place? To avoid being alone with _you_." She said harshly becoming panicked noticing his small steps towards her.

"Well we're alone now and by the way it's what your father wanted! That's why he left. He wanted this! How else could we get you to even talk to me?" He said still slowly inching towards her. He knew he should have kept his distance but his body wouldn't let him. She was trying to teleport away but he blocked her attempts and he knew she realized it as her eyes went wide.

"Let me go!" She screamed getting frustrated that she couldn't get away and Jareth couldn't take it anymore.

"No! All your father keeps telling me is that I need to talk to you, get to know you. So I'm not letting you away from me until you start talking!" He yelled as he closed the gap between them and grabbed Eve by the shoulders teleporting them into her room and slammed her into the wall holding himself as far off of her as his arms would allow and quickly released her.

Taking a few steps back he fought himself and won holding back the urge to kiss her again. That was what he wanted, to touch her again and not let go. The feel of her un-awakened power was almost addicting. He'd never been around a halfling before and sensing her power the way he was, was new and a bit overwhelming for him. Eve shook her head to shake the electric feeling away that lingered from his touch.

"Will that ever go away?" She asked angrily as she made her way to her desk.

"Possibly. But I hope not. It's all I have to use against you for now." He admitted trying to clear his head of the thoughts he shouldn't have been thinking when he had her pinned to the wall for just those few seconds.

"Don't... touch me... again..." Eve warned as she sat in her desk chair.

"I can't promise anything." He said making her furrow her brow at him.

"Promise all you want I'm not talking to you. You had months to watch me and get to know me." She grumbled at him and went to work on her drawing. Jareth watched her for a few moments doing his best not to get annoyed with her. She really loved pressing his buttons.

"Ok fine you're right I didn't pay attention I was distracted by Sarah but how was I supposed to know who you were when your Mother hid you like she did?" He said sincerely wishing she'd just give him something. She slowly turned in her chair towards him her annoyed glared melted into anger.

"Alright fine you want me to talk? Do you know why I even wished myself here in the first place?..." She waited a moment making sure she had his attention. "Because my Mother would have rather had me committed to an insane asylum than be _embarrassed_ by how different I was! Hell she even canceled all of my college classes, my one escape from her dreary uptight lifestyle, all because I cut my hair!" Eve explained and took a breath. Jareth was surprised at her sudden outburst and he thought she was done but she stared again.

"What kind of mother sends their ten year old to an asylum? All I did was refuse to wear my stupid brown contacts! I was ten! And so what I liked to draw monsters and play with the neat toys all the other kids got to play with! I was _never_ allowed to be a kid! And then..." Eve went on and on. It was like everything she was holding in was stuffed into a small closet all those years and someone had accidentally opened the door letting all of its contents fall out for everyone to see. For Jareth to see. He was incredibly surprised at how much she had already been through for her age. So much pain and suffering for one person. No wonder Julian was angry with him for forgetting about his promise. He sat and listened intently while also noticing how incredibly strong she was for enduring everything she had and still be as stubborn as she was towards him.

For the first time in a long time he decided to remove his gloves and ran his fingers over her silk comforter as she continued on. He enjoyed watching all the different emotions play on her face as she spoke and was unsure what to do when she began crying.

"So now I'm here and finally free from all of that. I wish I could see the look on my Mother's face if she knew where I was and what I am, she probably isn't even trying to find me, she never really cared about me. I was always a burden to her... At least now I know who my real father is..." She sobbed wiping her tears away taking deep breaths to calm herself. He watched as she looked so vulnerable resting her face in her hands. He stood from her bed and she didn't even look up at him as he stood less than a foot away from her.

Jareth couldn't fight what he was about to do. He stood over her and could smell her sweet scent. She smelled like fresh ripe strawberries and her skin looked so soft, it made him hungry for things he never even _imagined_ doing with Sarah. Her face was still in her hands and she had gone quiet. He knew he should have stopped himself but his hand removed hers from her face and he tilted her chin up towards him and placed both of his hands on either side of her face pulling her to her feet. Surprisingly she didn't fight back as he wiped the remaining tears from her eyes with his thumbs.

The feel of his hands on her face was so intense. Why did he take his gloves off? Was he overwhelming her on purpose? She couldn't move trapped by the powerful feeling coursing between them. She just poured herself out to him and now he is yet again trying to kiss her. She wanted to say something, push away from him, anything, but he had her trapped with his overwhelming touch and his lips met with hers. He tangled his fingers into her hair with one hand and pulled her closer to him holding her against him with the other. The power irradiating off of her with so much contact between them was engulfing him with his desires that she had created in him. It was so difficult for him to behave himself and not take complete advantage of the whole situation.

Eve concentrated on dulling out the sensation of his power, but it was no use and just when she thought things couldn't get worse a warm sensation shuttered through her body and she gained control of her arms again only they seemed to have a mind of their own. Her hands trailed from the sides of his shirt to his back making him take in a deep breath and part from their kiss. He looked at her questioningly wondering why she hadn't pushed him away yet before quickly being pulled into another kiss by _her_.

She didn't have a clue what had come over her but now _she_ was the one kissing _him_. Jareth was tempted to go further but he knew he had to stop her. She had never done anything like this before and he knew she was just doing what her body was telling her to do. There was no way he could live with himself yet alone survive Julian if he allowed it to go any further. He enjoyed it for a moment before pulling away again. She tried to pull him back and he had to place his hand over her mouth to stop her from kissing him again.

"Eve What are you doing?" She glared at him and attempted to move his hand from her lips wanting more. "Evelyn! Stop!" He yelled and quickly twisted away from her making her catch herself on her bed. His gloves appeared on his hands before he sat on the bed next to her. She lay on her side looking away from him. Her head was spinning from everything. What did she just do? Why did she attack him like that? Did he do something to her? She shook her head to clear it and stared at her pillows not wanting to look at him.

"Get away from me. I don't know what you did to me to make me want to do that but if you ever..."

"That was all you. I can't control you remember? It's called hormones. You've never been in this kind of situation before I take it. It happens to everyone." He explained before she could finish threatening him.

"I know what hormones are!" She yelled at him sitting up glaring at him with her arms crossed. "Just get out of my room! Now!" She screamed pointing at her door.

"It's ok. I did kind of cheat by overpowering you the way I did." He admitted flexing his hands in his gloves and reached over to her to move a stray strand of hair out of her face making her flinch away from him.

"Don't touch me. I'm mad at you. I open up to you, then you go and take advantage of me? What in the hell is wrong with you? No wonder Sarah never wanted you..." Eve said coldly.

"That's because I wasn't meant to be with her, it's obvious I was supposed to be with you all along. And I'm sorry I forgot about your father's promise to me. You wouldn't have been through all those horrible things that you had to endure in the mortal world if I hadn't been so obsessed with Sarah and took you in instead like I was supposed to. But I want to fix it... you..."

"Ok you want to fix it? Then take me back to the mortal world so I can confront my Mother." She interrupted him a bit afraid to hear more from him also knowing that he'd agree to whatever she said at this point.

"Ok but you'll have to wait it's the middle of the night there." He explained wondering what she had in mind.

"Alright I'll wait till she's at a social event or something with all of her snobby friends and we'll both go." She said firmly sitting at her desk and stared at her unfinished drawing for a few moments before continuing on it ignoring Jareth watching her intently.

"Are you sure you want me to go with?" He asked leaning on her desk.

"Yes because otherwise I might do something drastic and stupid." She replied not looking up from her work.

"I thought I was the one that made you do stupid things." He laughed and her pencil stopped for a second then continued as she ignored his comment. "What not going to kick me out?" He taunted curious as to why she hadn't kicked him out the second he snapped her back to her senses after he had stopped her from kissing him again.

"Only if you hover over me while I finish this. Plus _everyone_ around here is convinced that we need to be together and that I need to give you chance. So don't push your luck." She warned and he sat in the window closest to her desk.

Eve was surprised, but she was actually starting to like him a bit. The fact that he stopped her from doing something incredibly stupid that she knew he wanted to happen was comforting. She continued to work on her drawing as he watched her. He was enjoying watching her as her face changed between emotions as she drew. Time was lost on him as he watched her admiring everything about her.

"Done." She said interrupting the silence looking rather pleased and Jareth stood from the window and walked around her desk standing unnaturally close to her testing her boundaries as he looked down at her drawing. "Personal space." She mumbled angrily and he politely took a step away from her.

Now standing in the center of her picture was her as she was with her father on one side of her and Jareth on the other only he was dressed in more modern clothes similar to her father's. He was drawn in a cream colored silk shirt and had on black silk dress pants with gloves that matched wearing his necklace. Beside Jareth stood a short man dressed in brown trousers with white hair and brown vest with matching slacks and a hat who looked an awful lot like Hoggle. A small dark skinned boy stood beside her father with spikey hair and a grin on his face dressed in red resembling Merrith. The large house behind them had little faces peeking out the windows and a few in the garden all with red eyes and crazy hair just like the goblins of the labyrinth.

"Interesting." Jareth said eyeing himself in the drawing. "Can I put this in my room?" He asked and she eyed him up and down noticing he was now wearing what she had drawn him in.

"Er... if you really want to. You like it that much?" She asked taken a bit by surprise.

"Of course. No one has ever drawn my kingdom before. I love it." He said picking it up off the desk and put a hand on her shoulder teleporting them to his room. Eve was confused by the sudden room change and found herself sitting on a large canopy bed made of dark wood. The sheets were made of dark burgundy colored silk. When she realized whose bed she was on she quickly stood to see Jareth hanging her already framed drawing just across from his bed on the wall just below a small candle lit chandelier hanging from the high ceiling.

"Why am I in your room?" Eve asked looking around the room. Large windows overlooked different parts of the labyrinth with the drapes all open to let the sun light in. Several small chandeliers lined the ceiling and a single candle was placed between each window.

"To let you know that you're welcome in here whenever you want." He turned and smiled at her deviously. She rolled her eyes at him and started to head for the door. He couldn't help but taunt her and went after her. "Where are you going? I was hoping we could work on a few things before dinner."

"What do you mean by that?" She asked crossing her arms giving him a somber look.

"I don't mean it like _that_. I mean I want to teach you a few things about your powers." He explained and Eve let her arms fall to her sides as she glared back at him.

"Does it involve you touching me?" She asked.

"Only if you want it to." He replied trying not to smile.

"Alright fine. But no touching." She said loosening up a bit as a crystal appeared on Jareth's finger tips.

He had her practice controlling the flight of the crystal around the room and told her all the different things you could use them for. After they teleported all over the castle and Eve understood how to take things and people with her in the process they went and had dinner. She could tell that he was really trying to contain himself around her and give her some space. He was thankful that she hadn't pushed him away at all especially since they had to touch several times during teleporting. She had only been in his castle for less than forty eight hours and he was beginning the find that he really liked her. He knew it wasn't easy for her to put up with him yet alone just up and accept who she really is when she was hidden from the truth her whole life.

After dinner Jareth walked her up to her room before returning to his own. He didn't press to join her since they spent most of the day together knowing he should give her some space. Eve sat on her bed and stared at her door for a few moments sorting her thoughts. Unfortunately she had to admit to herself that he wasn't as bad as she thought he was. He had helped her out a lot and was patient with her whenever she messed things up. Earlier she had accidentally teleported them into a small closest somewhere in the castle and despite the situation he still behaved and was extremely patient with her.

She sighed remembering the last time they kissed wishing there was a way to dull the electric feeling between them when they touched. It would be nice to even just hold hands with him and not become overwhelmed and just enjoy the feel of his hand in hers. She knew he'd probably think it stupid but it was something simple that she wished she could just experience and enjoy for the first time. Her own mother wouldn't even hold her hand when she was little and felt scared or intimidated whenever she was dragged to her events.

Thinking about her mother reminded her that Jareth had promised he'd take her back to the mortal world to confront her mother. She summoned a crystal and saw her mother arriving at one of her friends houses. It seemed like all of her hoity toity friends were there. They all sat in a large room around a table sipping on tea. Her mother was greeted by several of her friends who gave her their condolences on her running away. One of the women whispered in her ear telling her that Sarah would thankfully not be joining them since she spending the day out with her husband. Eve closed her hand over the crystal as it disappeared.

Jareth was sitting in the window facing the goblin city. Torches were being blown out and everyone was quieting down getting ready for sleep. It had been over a millennium since the last time he slept, luckily as an immortal he didn't need sleep. Sleep was one of those mortal comforts he grew out of early in his immortal life. Though he wouldn't mind attempting it if it meant he could share a bed with Eve. Just thinking about it sent a warm shiver through him. He was startled when he felt Eve's power and a hand on his shoulder.

"I want to go now." Eve demanded with anger in her eyes. Jareth stared back at her for a moment before figuring out what she was pertaining to.

"Are you sure? Maybe we should wait a few days." He suggested knowing that throwing her back and forth between both worlds probably wasn't such a good idea.

"No now. The sooner I confront her the sooner I can forget about all the horrible things she's put me through." Eve said standing her ground.

"Alright." He sighed knowing she'd fight him till she got her way. As much as he didn't want her back up in the mortal world she did deserve to confront her mother after everything she had been through. He was about to put his hand on her shoulder to teleport them when she quickly grabbed him by the hand and did it herself. They were standing right outside the house her mother and her friends were in. Eve had released his hand and was holding her head in pain.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow." She mumbled to herself as the shooting pain in her head lingered. "Was it supposed to hurt like that?"

"Yes! Halflings shouldn't be teleporting between worlds! What were you thinking?" He yelled and caught her as she almost fell while holding her head. She wrapped her fingers around his wrist and pulled one of his hands to her forehead and held it there for a moment.

"That feels better." She said releasing his hand as the pain subsided.

"We should go back." He suggested and she glared at him as she backed away from him.

"No, we're already here. I _need_ to do this." She said firmly and went inside. Jareth grumbled and followed after her making sure to stay out of sight. Eve made her way through the house and slowly entered the room her mother and her friends were in. They were all talking amongst themselves and after a moment one of them looked her way and gasped.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?" She asked in a nasally voice and everyone turned their attention to Eve gasping and gaping. Her mother was silent with a look of remorse on her face.

"Hi mom, nice to see that my absence hasn't affected you at all." Eve said nonchalantly as she walked across the room to her.

"Evelyn is that you?" One of her mother's friends asked.

"Of course it's not. She ran away. She doesn't look anything like her." Her mother denied.

"Really Jennifer? If I can call you that. You weren't much of a mother hiding me from everyone never letting me be who I really was and now you're denying that I'm even yours. God forbid you get embarrassed in front of your _friends_. I found Julian my _real_ father and he told me everything. I'm sorry it had to be this way. But you left me with no choice. I'm not meant to live in your world. Goodbye." She said firmly and turned and left the room. Her mother called out to her and she ignored it. As she walked past Jareth she grabbed him by the arm and teleported out of there and back to the castle's throne room.

The pain from before returned and she quickly grabbed both of Jareth's hands and placed them on either side of her head. The tingling sensation from his power made the stabbing pain subside. He ran his hands down her face and tilted her head to look him in the eyes.

"Don't do that again. You're going to hurt yourself if you keep teleporting between our worlds." He warned staring into her. She stared back up at him dazed from his touch. She heard what he had said she was just enjoying the numbing feeling of his touch. Jareth hesitantly removed his hands from her face and she gave him an un-amused look.

"Ow. Why'd you let go, it was making my head feel better." She whined rubbing her temples. Jareth huffed staring down at her.

"So now you like it when I touch you?" He asked trying to hold back a smile.

"Not like that." She corrected rolling her eyes. "I think I'm going to bed now."

"That's probably a good idea." He agreed and walked her to her room. "Here drink this." He handed her a warm cup of herbal tea.

"What is it?" She asked with a raise eyebrow.

"It'll make you feel better. Just drink it and go to sleep. You've been awake for almost twenty four hours." He said with concerned.

"Ok dad." Eve rolled her eyes at him.

"That's not even remotely funny." Jareth replied drearily.

"Alright, alright." She groaned taking a sip of the tea then quickly gulped the rest of it down and handed the empty cup to him. "Good night." She said abruptly and quickly closed the door not wanting to deal with the awkwardness that could have been. She sighed and fell into bed kicking her shoes off. Once her head hit the pillow she fell asleep on top of the comforter still dressed in her clothes.

Jareth sat in her window and watched her sleep for awhile and drew the curtains when the sun came up. He finally went down to the throne room and sat in his throne for awhile watching the younger goblins play in the pit in the center of the room. Since when did the throne room turn into a day care for the younger goblins? As he watched them play he started to wonder about having a child of his own. He'd always wanted one, but never found anyone he thought was good enough to do so with. Eve was twenty three and her father was twenty six when he turned immortal. That gave him three years to win her over before she couldn't have a child with him. He laughed out loud to himself as he imagined proposing the idea to her. Making the little goblins laugh hysterically with him.

Eve was awoken by a small tug on the back of her shirt. She sat up in bed to find Merrith standing beside her on the bed looking incredibly frightened and worried.

"Eve, oh I ran as fast as I could to get here!" Merrith said out of breath. "It's Toby! He's about to wish Sarah's baby Lillian away!"

"Not if I can help it!" Eve said determined and teleported to the mortal world to stop him.


End file.
